Lycopene induces retinoic acid receptor transcriptional activation in mice.
METHODS
Lycopene is a lipophilic carotenoid and provides the red colour to tomatoes and tomato product. Various studies indicated that lycopene and tomatoes/tomato products are able to positively influence various diseases associated with a chronic inflammation. The mechanism of action of lycopene to elicit these effects is partly unknown. A possible mechanism is that biological metabolites of lycopene may activate nuclear hormone receptors in mammalian cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of orally administered lycopene and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) for the induction of the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) in a transgenic retinoic acid response-element (RARE)-reporter mouse system.


RESULTS
Orally administered lycopene (100 mg/kg bw in beadlets, n = 6) and ATRA as an endogenous RAR ligand (50 mg/kg bw, n = 6) for the induction of the retinoic acid receptor in male mice using a transgenic RARE-reporter mouse system.


CONCLUSIONS
Lycopene treatments induced RARE-mediated cell signalling indicated by quantified bioimaging, increased luciferase activity and up-regulated the retinoid target genes in selected organs of the mice. We conclude that lycopene can induce RAR-transcriptional activation in mice and lycopene might be a precursor of still non-identified biologically active metabolites.
Laboratory of Nutritional Bioactivation and Bioanalysis, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
Gamze
G
Aydemir
Harald
H
Carlsen
Rune
R
Blomhoff
Ralph
R
Rühl
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D000077276:Lycopene; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000235:genetics*; D020218:Response Elements / Q000187:drug effects*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects
D010936:Plant Extracts; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D002338:Carotenoids; D014212:Tretinoin; D008156:Luciferases; D000077276:Lycopene