Biphasic Effects of Genistein on Bone Tissue in the Ovariectomized, Lactating Rat Model

The ovariectomized (OVX), lactating rat model has been used to investigate the skeletal effects of the plant estrogen, genistein, over a 14-day period. The OVX, lactating rat on a low-calcium diet loses slightly more than 50% of its bone mineral mass during the first 2 weeks of lactation, and we have demonstrated that estrogen treatment can significantly reduce the loss of femoral mass (ash weight). Following OVX, the rats were assigned to treatment or control groups (both placebo and positive control with estrogen replacement). The treatment groups received one of three doses of a genistein-rich preparation each day via the feed for 2 weeks, after which time the pups began to have an interest in solid feed. A positive control group received conjugated estrogen in the feed. The genistein doses were: low (0.5 mg/d); intermediate (1.6 mg/d); and high (5.0 mg/d). Measurements included ash weights of the femur, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the proximal tibia, and uterine weights. SEM results were as follows: (1) at the low dose genistein was approximately equally effective to estrogen in the retention of cancellous bone tissue, as reflected in the number and density of trabeculae in hemisections of the tibial subepiphyseal region, but at high doses genistein was less effective; and (2) rats treated with low-dose genistein, like estradiol, had rougher endosteal surfaces and smaller pores on these surfaces than untreated control rats. Mean ash weights of the entire femur were highest in the rats treated with the low dose compared to control rats (P < 0.05), and they were higher than ash weights of rats administered the intermediate or high doses of genistein. The mean ash weights of the femurs were consistent with the genistein effects on the tibias observed by SEM. In summary, a biphasic response to the genistein preparation was found in this OVX rat model. Interpretation of the results suggests that, at the low dose, genistein appears to be an agonist at the estrogen receptor locus, whereas at higher doses the genistein is less effective and may even have adverse effects on bone cells. These findings of a biphasic effect of genistein (i.e., an inverted U effect) are consistent with those of other recent reports in the literature on isolated bone cells and on reproductive tissues. In summary, lower doses of genistein from soy foods would be expected to act similarly to estrogens with a beneficial effect on bone tissue, but at high doses that are unlikely to be consumed in human diets, this soy derivative may have potentially adverse effects on bone cell functions and thereby on bone tissue.