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Journal List > Reprod Biol Endocrinol > v.2; 2004

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Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2004; 2: 5.
Published online 2004 January 16. doi: 10.1186/1477-7827-2-5.
PMCID: PMC340387
Copyright © 2004 Lund et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article: verbatim copying and redistribution of this article are permitted in all media for any purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the article's original URL.
Androgen receptor expression in the rat prostate is down-regulated by dietary phytoestrogens
Trent D Lund,corresponding author1 Daniel J Munson,1 Herman Adlercreutz,2 Robert J Handa,1 and Edwin D Lephart3
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
2Institute for Preventive Medicine, Nutrition, and Cancer Folkhälsan Research Center, and Division of Clinical Chemistry, Biomedicum, University of Helsinki, Finland
3The Neuroscience Center and Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
corresponding authorCorresponding author.
Trent D Lund: tlund/at/colostate.edu; Daniel J Munson: daniel.munson/at/colostate.edu; Herman Adlercreutz: herman.adlercreutz/at/helsinki.fi; Robert J Handa: robert.handa/at/colostate.edu; Edwin D Lephart: Edwin_Lephart/at/byu.edu
Received November 14, 2003; Accepted January 16, 2004.
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Abstract
Background
It is well established that the growth of the prostate gland is a hormone-dependent phenomenon involving both androgenic and estrogenic control. Proliferation of prostate cells is, at least in part, under control of estrogen receptor beta (ER-beta). Phytoestrogens bind ER-beta with high affinity and therefore may have antiproliferative effects in the prostate.
Methods
The prostates of male Long-Evans rats fed a diet high in phytoestrogens (Phyto-600) or very low levels of phytoestrogens (Phyto-free) were analyzed to determine the impact of dietary phytoestrogens on prostate weight and androgen receptor (AR) expression in the prostate.
Results
Dietary phytoestrogens significantly decreased post-pubertal prostate weight gain in Phyto-600 vs Phyto-free fed males. Additionally, dietary phytoestrogens (Phyto-600) decreased AR expression in the prostate as determined by in situ hybridization.
Conclusions
Soy phytoestrogens, present in diet, alter prostate growth presumably by binding ER-beta and subsequently reducing AR expression within the prostate.
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