Fermented soy product supplemented with isoflavones affects adipose tissue in a regional-specific manner and improves HDL-cholesterol in rats fed on a cholesterol-enriched diet

It has been proposed that isoflavones and probiotics possess specific biological activities that enable them to affect lipid metabolism. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a soy product fermented with Enterococcus faecium and Lactobacillus jugurti and supplemented with isoflavones on the plasma lipid and glucose profiles, and on the retroperitoneal (RET) and epididymal (EPI) adipose tissue adipocyte areas in juvenile rats. Male Wistar rats were subjected to 6-week experimental diets: (1) cholesterol-enriched diet (rat chow) plus fermented soy product supplemented with isoflavones, (2) cholesterol-enriched diet plus unfermented placebo, (3) cholesterol-enriched diet plus placebo supplemented with isoflavones, (4) standard diet (rat chow), or (5) cholesterol-enriched diet. Soy products affected adipose tissue in a regional-specific manner and may be responsible for the observed increase in RET adipocyte area (mu(2)): (1) 12757.00 +/- 286.25; (2) 13269.00 +/- 326.87 or (3) 13050.00 +/- 226.85 versus (4) 8714.92 +/- 262.41 or (5) 8892.70 +/- 131.79 or decrease in EPI adipocyte area (mu(2)): (1) 7759.00 +/- 108.89 and (2) 7481.90 +/- 111.21 compared with the control group (4) 8346.60 +/- 158.89. The effect on epididymal adipose tissue was probably due to isoflavones. Probiotics significantly raised the plasma level of HDL cholesterol. Fermented soy product supplemented with isoflavones did not promote changes in the glucose and triglyceride plasma levels. This product may offer a new approach for improving or preventing lipid metabolism abnormalities by decreasing visceral adipocyte area, adjusting cholesterol-mediated loss of RET adipose tissue (lipoatrophy), and increasing the HDL cholesterol plasma level.