Prolonged consumption of flaxseed flour increases the 17β-estradiol hormone without causing adverse effects on the histomorphology of Wistar rats’ penis

Abstract

Consumption of foods rich in phytoestrogens such as flaxseed has increased due to its chemoprotective effects, especially those related to the cardiovascular system. The flaxseed has components that can interfere with development of male reproductive system. This study aims to investigate the possible effects of prolonged consumption of flaxseed flour on hormonal and histomorphologic penis parameters of adult Wistar rats. Rat dams were divided into two groups during lactation period: the control group that was fed with diet based on casein and the flaxseed group that was fed with diet based on casein containing 25% of flaxseed . At weaning, 10 male offspring from each group continued to receive the experimental diets until 250days old. Rats fed with diet containing flaxseed showed increased concentrations of 17β-estradiol (p=0.01) but no changes in testosterone concentrations. With regard to histomorphometric analysis of the penis, supplemented rats had lower values for the total area of the corpus spongiosum (p=0.01). All other analyzed parameters wer e similar as the control. Results showed that the use of flaxseed flour did not cause adverse effects on the penis morphology but increases the 17β-estradiol hormone, when consumed in integral form for a prolonged period.