Lycopene supplementation (passata sauce) reduces apoptosis but does not affect oxidant-responsive heme oxygenase-1 in human lymphocytes.
OBJECTIVE
We tested the hypothesis that lycopene supplementation reduces the expression of oxidant-responsive heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in basal conditions and in response to an oxidant challenge and determined whether this is temporally associated with increased cell viability.


METHODS
We determined basal and stimulated ex vivo expression of HO-1 and cell viability in lymphocytes from volunteers after lycopene supplementation. Twenty-four healthy young men on a low lycopene diet consumed 1) 170 g of passata sauce with butter or 2) butter alone for 3 wk in a randomized crossover design.


RESULTS
Plasma lycopene concentrations at the end of the tomato and control trials were 0.54 +/- 0.20 versus 0.20 +/- 0.15 micromol/L, respectively (P < 0.05). There was a significant increase in the proportion of live cells (91 +/- 5% versus 87 +/- 9%) and a corresponding reduction in apoptosis (6 +/- 4% versus 11 +/- 9%) in untreated lymphocytes after supplementation (P < 0.05), with no effect on cell viability in response to hydrogen peroxide treatment. HO-1 protein expression in basal conditions and induction of HO-1 after hydrogen peroxide treatment was not different between trials.


CONCLUSIONS
Lycopene supplementation did not affect basal oxidative stress or susceptibility to oxidant-induced stress as indicated by the expression of the oxidant-responsive protein HO-1 and cell viability in response to hydrogen peroxide treatment. However, lycopene supplementation significantly reduced apoptosis in freshly harvested untreated lymphocytes. We conclude that this was not through an oxidant-mediated mechanism because of the lack of an effect on oxidant-responsive HO-1.
Markovitch
Daniella
D
School for Health, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom.
Tyrrell
Rex M
RM
Tauler
Pedro
P
Frystyk
Jan
J
Stokes
Keith
K
Thompson
Dylan
D
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000378:metabolism; D000077276:Lycopene; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*
D000975:Antioxidants; D002338:Carotenoids; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D000077276:Lycopene