Effects of Dietary Genistein on Plasma and Liver Lipids, Hepatic Gene Expression, and Plasma Metabolic Profiles of Hamsters with Diet-Induced Hyperlipidemia

Male hamsters were fed one of the following three diets for 6 weeks (n = 15): normal-fat diet (NFD), high-fat diet (HFD), or HFD + 2 g/kg genistein; the effects of dietary genistein on hyperlipidemia were investigated using traditional and 111 NMR metabonomic approaches. At 6 weeks, compared with the hamsters in the NFD group, those in the HFD group had higher plasma and liver lipids (P < 0.05). Hyperlipidemia was alleviated in the genistein group, with lower plasma cholesterol (9.11 +/- 0.40 vs 12.4 +/- 0.37 mmol/L), triglyceride (8.07 +/- 1.08 vs 14.7 +/- 1.18 mmol/L), LDL cholesterol (2.69 +/- 0.20 vs 4.48 +/- 0.27 mmol/L), malondialdehyde (7.77 +/- 1.64 vs 14.0 +/- 1.15 mu mol/L), and liver cholesterol (20.9 +/- 1.01 vs 29.9 +/- 2.76 mu mol/g) than those in the HFD group (P < 0.05). Expression of hepatic LDL receptor and estrogen receptors a and,6 mRNA in the genistein group were significantly up-regulated, compared with those of the HFD group (P < 0.05). In the H-1 NMR metabonomic analysis, both the small and macromolecular plasma metabolite profiles differed among the three groups, and the metabolic profile of the genistein group was shifted toward that of the NFD group. These results extend our understanding of the beneficial effects of genistein on hyperlipidemia.