Ferutinin dose-dependent effects on uterus and mammary gland in ovariectomized rats

The present paper completes our recent study on the effects of phytoestrogen ferutinin in preventing osteoporosis and demonstrating the superior osteoprotective effect of a 2 mg/kg/day dose in ovariectomized (OVX) rats, compared to both estrogens and lower (0.5, 1 mg/kg/day) ferutinin doses. Morphological and morphometrical analyses were performed on the effects of different doses of ferutinin administrated for one month on uterus and on mammary gland of Sprague-Dawley OVX rats, evaluated in comparison with the results for estradiol benzoate. To verify whether ferutinin provides protection against uterine and breast cancer, estimations were made of both the amount of cell proliferation (by Ki-67), and the occurrence of apoptosis (by TUNEL), two processes that in unbalanced ratio form the basis for cancer onset. The results suggest that the effects of ferutinin are dose dependent and that a 2 mg/kg/day dose might offer a better protective action against the onset of both breast and uterine carcinoma compared to ferutinin in lower doses or estradiol benzoate, increasing cellular apoptosis in glandular epithelia.