title: Genistein protects dermal fibrosis in bleomycin-induced experimental scleroderma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Genistein, a phytoestrogen, has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-angiogenic properties. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the protective effect of genistein in bleomycin (BLM)-induced dermal fibrosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study involved four groups of Balb/c mice (n=10 per group). Mice in three groups were administered BLM [100 μg/day in 100 μL phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)] subcutaneously for 4 weeks; the remaining (control) group received only 100 μL/day of PBS subcutaneously. PBS or BLM was injected into the shaved upper back. Two of the BLM-treated groups also received genistein (1 or 3 mg/kg/day, subcutaneously, to the dorsal front of neck). At the end of the fourth week, all mice were sacrificed and blood and tissue samples were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The BLM applications increased the dermal thicknesses, tissue hydroxyproline contents, α-smooth muscle actin-positive cell counts, and led to histopathologically prominent dermal fibrosis. The genistein treatments decreased the tissue hydroxyproline contents and dermal thicknesses, in the BLM-injected mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Genistein has antifibrotic potential in BLM-induced dermal fibrosis model. However, its therapeutic potentials on human scleroderma require evaluation in future studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Fırat University Faculty of Medicine, Elazığ, Turkey.
authors.forename: Süleyman Serdar
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Koca
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Fırat University Faculty of Medicine, Elazığ, Turkey.
authors.forename: Adile Ferda
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Dağlı
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Fırat University Faculty of Medicine, Elazığ, Turkey.
authors.forename: Servet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yolbaş
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Fırat University Faculty of Medicine, Elazığ, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nevzat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gözel
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Fırat University Faculty of Medicine, Elazığ, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Işık
keywords: Scleroderma; dermal fibrosis; genistein