DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION WITH SOY ISOFLAVONES IN ASTHMA

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中的一个 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目和 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为 研究中心，而研究中心不一定是研究者所在的机构。 一项针对哮喘患者的流行病学研究表明，大豆异黄酮摄入量的增加与哮喘严重程度的减轻有关。 在实验动物中，用大豆异黄酮治疗可以减少气道炎症和高反应性。 我们进行的体外研究表明，染料木黄酮可减少人血嗜酸性粒细胞释放炎性化合物。 这项初步研究的目的是确定饮食补充大豆异黄酮是否对哮喘患者有影响。 20名哮喘患者将在四周内用大豆胶囊补充饮食。 在补充期之前和之后，我们将测量肺功能，呼出的一氧化氮（气道炎症的标志物），收集呼出气冷凝物以测量气道中炎症介质的水平，并分离外周血嗜酸性粒细胞以评估大豆异黄酮对其功能的影响。 我们假设饮食中补充大豆异黄酮会降低呼出气中的一氧化氮水平，减少呼出气冷凝液中的炎症介质，并降低嗜酸性粒细胞释放炎症分子的能力。 确定大豆异黄酮在哮喘中是否存在这些假设的作用将为进一步的临床研究提供依据。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. An epidemiologic study of patients with asthma has shown that increased intake of soy isoflavones correlates with less severe asthma. In experimental animals, treatment with the soy isoflavone genistein reduces airways inflammation and hyperresponsiveness. In vitro studies performed by us have shows that genistein reduces release of inflammatory compounds by human blood eosinophils. The purpose of this pilot study is to determine whether dietary supplementation with soy isoflavones has effects in patients with asthma. Twenty patients with asthma will supplement their diet with a soy isoflavone capsule for four weeks. Before and after the supplementation period, we will measure lung function, exhaled nitric oxide (a marker for airway inflammation), collect exhaled breath condensate to measure levels of inflammatory mediators in the airways, and isolate peripheral blood esoinophils to assess the impact of soy isoflavones on their function. We hypothesize that dietary supplementation with soy isoflavones will reduce exhaled nitric oxide level, reduce the inflammatory mediators in the exhaled breath condensate, and reduce the ability of eosinophils to release inflammatory molecules. Identifying if these hypothesized effects of soy isoflavones exist in asthma will provide a justification for further clinical studies.