Taking a bite out of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: soy diet and disease
Cathy J. Hatcher, Craig T. Basson
Cathy J. Hatcher, Craig T. Basson
Published January 4, 2006
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2006;116(1):16-19. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI27455.
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Commentary

Taking a bite out of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: soy diet and disease

Abstract

Some forms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are caused by mutations in cardiac sarcomeric genes, but environmental factors are believed to influence the hypertrophic response. A highly variable but potentially significant environmental factor is diet. Since soy-rich diets have been speculated to confer protection against cardiovascular disease, Stauffer et al. have explored the influence of a soy diet on cardiac growth and function in a transgenic mouse model of HCM. They report that mice fed a soy diet exhibited significantly worse HCM than mice fed a soy-free (milk protein) diet. This study provides the first evidence of an environmental modifier — diet — on the hypertrophic phenotype and has implications for the way in which disease phenotypes are assessed in genetically altered murine models of disease.

Authors

Cathy J. Hatcher, Craig T. Basson

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Figure 2

Soy diet alters the physiological cardiac response to HCM in a sex-dependent manner (1).

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Soy diet alters the physiological cardiac response to HCM in a sex-depen...
(A) Female HCM mice, which have high endogenous levels of estrogen, were placed on a standard soy diet high in phytoestrogens. Cardiac growth was attenuated in these mice, and contractile function was preserved. (B) Male HCM mice, who have low endogenous levels of estrogen, consumed a standard soy diet high in phytoestrogens. Relative cardiac growth was augmented in these mice. A decrease in contractile function was also observed along with LV chamber dilation and wall thinning. The potential molecular and physiologic mechanisms underlying these events are shown. All HCM mice consuming a soy-free, casein diet were significantly heavier than those consuming the standard soy diet. However, the female HCM mice consuming a soy-free, casein diet (C) did not demonstrate a hypertrophic response whereas the male HCM mice did (D). In addition, the casein diet did not negatively impact contractile function in these mice.