Epidemiological studies indicate that the consumption of soy-containing food may prevent or slow-down the development of
cardiovascular disease. In endothelial cells application of a soy extract or a combination of the most abundant soy
isoflavones genistein and
daidzein both inhibited apoptosis, a driving force in
atherosclerosis development, when applied in combination with
oxidized LDL or
homocysteine.
Proteome analysis revealed that the stressor-induced alteration of
protein expression profile was reversed by the soy extract or the
genistein/
daidzein mixture. Only few
protein entities that could be functionally linked to
mitochondrial dysfunction were regulated in common by both application forms of
isoflavones. A dietary intervention with
isoflavone-enriched soy extract in postmenopausal women, who generally show strongly increased cardiovascular risk due to diminished
estrogen production, led to significant alterations in the steady state levels of
proteins from mononuclear blood cells. The
proteins identified by
proteome analysis revealed that soy
isoflavones may increase the anti-inflammatory response in blood mononuclear cells thereby contributing to the
atherosclerosis-preventive activities of a soy-rich diet.
CONCLUSION: