Phytoestrogens alter hypothalamic calbindin-D-28k levels during prenatal development

Calbindin-D-28K (CALB) in the medial basal hypothalamic (MBH) and preoptic area (POA) of male and female fetuses from pregnant rats fed different phyt oestrogens diets during gestation was examined by Western analysis. In anim als fed a phytoestrogen containing diet (Phyto-200), males displayed signif icantly higher CALB levels compared to females. Whereas, in animals fed a p hytoestrogen-free diet (Phyto-free), females exhibited significantly higher CALB levels compared to Phyto-200 female values. The present data have far reaching implications where phytoestrogen content in diets apparently infl uence MBH-POA CALB levels prenatally. The altered CALB levels may in turn m odify sexually dimorphic brain structures during neuronal development by bu ffering Ca2+ that is associated with programmed cell death. (C) 1999 Elsevi er Science B.V. All rights reserved.