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Dietary phytoestrogens improve stroke outcome after transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats
Author(s) -
Burguete María C.,
Torregrosa PérezAsensio Germán, Fernando J.,
CastellóRuiz María,
Salom Gil Juan B., José V.,
Alborch Enrique
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2006.04599.x
Subject(s) - phytoestrogens , ischemia , stroke (engine) , medicine , transient (computer programming) , cardiology , computer science , engineering , estrogen , mechanical engineering , operating system
As phytoestrogens are postulated as being neuroprotectants, we assessed the hypothesis that dietary isoflavone‐type phytoestrogens are neuroprotective against ischemic stroke. Transient focal cerebral ischemia (90 min) was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) following the intraluminal thread technique, both in rats fed with soy‐based diet and in rats fed with isoflavone‐free diet. Cerebro‐cortical laser‐Doppler flow (cortical perfusion, CP), arterial blood pressure, core temperature, P a O 2 , P a CO 2 , pH and glycemia were measured before, during and after MCAO. Neurological examination and infarct volume measurements were carried out 3 days after the ischemic insult. Dietary isoflavones (both glycosides and aglycones) were measured by high‐performance liquide chromatography. Neither pre‐ischemic, intra‐ischemic nor post‐ischemic CP values were significantly different between the soy‐based diet and the isoflavone‐free diet groups. Animals fed with the soy‐based diet showed an infarct volume of 122 ± 20.2 mm 3 (19 ± 3.3% of the whole ipsilateral hemisphere volume). In animals fed with the isoflavone‐free diet the mean infarct volume was significantly higher, 191 ± 26.7 mm 3 (28 ± 4.1%, P < 0.05). Neurological examination revealed significantly higher impairment in the isoflavone‐free diet group compared with the soy‐based diet group (3.3 ± 0.5 vs. 1.9 ± 0.5, P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that dietary isoflavones improve stroke outcome after transient focal cerebral ischemia in such a way that a higher dietary isoflavone content results in a lower infarct volume and a better neurological status.