title: Prenatal Exposure to Soy Isoflavones Altered the Immunological Parameters in Female Rats.
abstract: Information on the effects of phytoestrogens on animals has increased recently; however, there were only few studies on prenatal exposure on cellular immune response. Pregnant rats were assigned to 3 groups (12 rats per group), the first was fed control diet, the second was fed low-dose (6.5 g/100 g of diet) soy isoflavones, while the third was fed high-dose (26 g/100 g of diet) soy isoflavones. The female offspring cell-mediated immune response was determined using phytohemagglutinin (PHA) injection, and intumesce index was calculated on postnatal day 50. After 24 hours of PHA injection, blood samples were collected for tumor necrosis factor α, interferon γ (IFN-γ), and interleukin (IL)-12 determination. Spleen, thymus, and PHA-injected footpads were fixed for histopathology. Intumesce index was significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in rats' offspring born from dams fed low- and high-dietary soy isoflavones than that in control groups. Thymic relative weights in offspring of rats fed high-dietary soy isoflavones showed a significant (P < 0.05) decrease compared to that in the control group. Female offspring where low and high-dietary soy isoflavones were fed to their dams showed a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in IFN-γ and IL-12 than that in control ones. Spleen of rats born from dams fed high dose of dietary soy isoflavones showed lymphocytic depletion in white pulp. Taking together, it is clear that dietary soy isoflavones at prenatal period had immunosuppressive effect on female offspring after PHA stimulation. This effect was mediated through reduced IFN-γ that interplayed in IL-12 production pathway thus reducing its level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hala M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Ebaid
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt reemshab@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rania Abdel Rahman
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Elgawish
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
authors.forename: Heba M A
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Abdelrazek
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ghada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gaffer
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hend M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Tag
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000633:toxicity*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013025:Glycine max; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007529:Isoflavones; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: cell-mediated immunity; phytoestrogens; rats