Daidzein upregulates anti-aging protein Klotho and NaPi 2a cotransporter in a rat model of the andropause

Abstract In a rat model of the andropause we aimed to examine the influence of daidzein, soy isoflavone, on the structure and function of parathyroid glands (PTG) and the expression levels of some of the crucial regulators of Ca 2+ and Pi homeostasis in the kidney, and to compare these effects with the effects of estradiol, serving as a positive control. Middle-aged (16-month-old) male Wistar rats were divided into the following groups: sham-operated (SO), orchidectomized (Orx), orchidectomized and estradiol-treated (Orx + E; 0.625 mg/kg b.w./day, s.c. ) as well as orchidectomized and daidzein-treated (Orx + D; 30 mg/kg b.w./day, s.c. ) group. Every treated group had a corresponding control group. PTH serum concentration was decreased in Orx + E and Orx + D groups by 10% and 21% (p  2+ /creatinine and Pi/creatinine ratio in urine by 32% and 16% (p  In conclusion, presented results indicate the more coherent beneficial effects of daidzein compared to estradiol, on disturbed Ca 2+ and Pi homeostasis, and presumably on bone health, in the aging male rats.