title: Lycopene attenuates arachidonic acid toxicity in HepG2 cells overexpressing CYP2E1.
abstract: Arachidonic acid (AA) was shown to be toxic to HepG2 cells expressing cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) because of oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate whether lycopene, a carotenoid with high anti-oxidant capacity, protects HepG2 cells expressing CYP2E1 against AA toxicity. In preliminary experiments, lycopene as well as placebo (vehicle) were not toxic in the three types of cells tested: HepG2 cells, HepG2 cells transfected with pCI-neo (Neo) or pCI-neo/2E1 (2E1). AA produced toxic effects, especially in the 2E1 cells, and caused a remarkable increase in hydrogen peroxide production and lipid peroxidation compared to the Neo and HepG2 cells. Lycopene had a protective effect whereas the placebo did not. This was due, at least in part, to inhibition of hydrogen peroxide production and of the resulting lipid peroxidation, confirming the potent anti-oxidant properties of lycopene and its suitability for clinical studies.
authors.affiliation: Alcohol Research and Treatment Center, Section of Liver Disease and Nutrition, Veterans Affairs Medical Center (151-2), Mt Sinai School of Medicine, 130 West Kingsbridge Rd, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Youqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Leo
authors.forename: Charles S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lieber
mesh_terms: D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D000077276:Lycopene; D014161:Transduction, Genetic
chemical_list: D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D002338:Carotenoids; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1; D000077276:Lycopene