Attenuation of neurodegeneration-relevant modifications of brain proteins by dietary soy

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Helen Kim, | Hongli Xia, | Lin Li, | John Gewin,

Affiliations: Department of Pharmacology \& Toxicology and the UAB Center for Aging, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA

Note: [] Research Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology \& Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1670 University Blvd, Volker Hall, room G78P, Birmingham, AL 35294-0019, USA. Tel.: +1 205 934 3880; Fax: +1 205 934 8240; E-mail: helenkim@uab.edu

Abstract: Epidemiological studies show that postmenopausal women who undertake estrogen-replacement therapy have significantly lower risk for the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) than women who do not. Animal behavior studies have shown that ovariectomy results in the development of cognitive dysfunction that is prevented by estrogen-replacement, suggesting that normal mammalian cognitive function is impaired by estrogen reduction. Soy isoflavones in particular genistein have been demonstrated to have weak and selective estrogenic actions in various models of human chronic diseases. A hallmark of several human dementias including AD and fronto temporal dementia with Parkinsonism on chromosome 17 (FTDP-17) is the hyperphosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau. Preliminary experiments are discussed here which show that isoflavones delivered in a soy protein matrix attenuated selected AD-relevant tau phosphorylations in a primate model of menopause. The rationale is discussed for the use of soy-based foods for protection against postmenopausal neurodegeneration.

Journal: BioFactors, vol. 12, no. 1-4, pp. 243-250, 2000