title: Phytoestrogen α-zearalanol ameliorates memory impairment and neuronal DNA oxidation in ovariectomized mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a novel phytoestrogen, α-Zearalanol, on Alzheimer's disease-related memory impairment and neuronal oxidation in ovariectomized mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female C57/BL6 mice were ovariectomized or received sham operations and treatment with equivalent doses of 17β-estradiol or α-Zearalanol for 8 weeks. Their spatial learning and memory were analyzed using the Morris water maze test. The antioxidant enzyme activities and reactive oxygen species generation, neuronal DNA oxidation, and MutT homolog 1 expression in the hippocampus were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment with 17β-estradiol or α-Zearalanol significantly improved spatial learning and memory performance in ovariectomized mice. In addition, 17β-estradiol and α-Zearalanol attenuated the decrease in antioxidant enzyme activities and increased reactive oxygen species production in ovariectomized mice. The findings indicated a significant elevation in hippocampi neuronal DNA oxidation and reduction in MutT homolog 1 expression in estrogen-deficient mice, but supplementation with 17β-estradiol or α-Zearalanol efficaciously ameliorated this situation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that α-Zearalanol is potentially beneficial for improving memory impairments and neuronal oxidation damage in a manner similar to that of 17β-estradiol. Therefore, the compound may be a potential therapeutic agent that can ameliorate neurodegenerative disorders related to estrogen deficiency.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Yunnan University, KunmingYunnan, China.
authors.forename: Yilong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Yanmei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yanyong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Pingping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zuo
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D045643:DNA Repair Enzymes / Q000032:analysis; D004958:Estradiol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010052:Ovariectomy; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis; D048789:Phytoestrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015029:Zeranol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D048789:Phytoestrogens; C029659:zearalenol; D004958:Estradiol; D015029:Zeranol; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; C078207:8-oxodGTPase; D045643:DNA Repair Enzymes