title: Antioxidant and antigenotoxic effects of lycopene in obstructive jaundice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obstructive jaundice, a frequently observed condition caused by obstruction of the common bile duct or its flow and seen in many clinical situations, may end up with serious complications like sepsis, immune depression, coagulopathy, wound breakdown, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and hepatic and renal failures. Intrahepatic accumulation of reactive oxygen species is thought to be an important cause for the possible mechanisms of the pathogenesis of cholestatic tissue injury from jaundice. Carotenoids have been well described that are able to scavenge reactive oxygen species. Lycopene, a carotenoid present in tomatoes, tomato products, and several fruits and vegetables, have been suggested to have antioxidant activity, so may play a role in certain diseases related to the oxidative stress. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of lycopene on oxidative stress and DNA damage induced by experimental biliary obstruction in Wistar albino rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Daily doses of 100 mg/kg lycopene were given to the bile duct-ligation (BDL) rats orally for 14 days. DNA damage was evaluated by an alkaline comet assay. The levels of aspartate transferase, amino alanine transferase, gamma glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, and direct bilirubin were analyzed in plasma for the determination of liver functions. The levels of malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione, nitric oxide, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione S transferase were determined in the liver and kidney tissues. Pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha level was determined in the liver tissues. Histologic examinations of the liver and kidney tissues were also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to this study, lycopene significantly recovered the parameters of liver functions in plasma, reduced malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels, enhanced reduced glutathione levels, as well as enhancing all antioxidant enzyme activity in all tissues obtained from the BDL group. Moreover, the parameters of DNA damage in the liver and kidney tissue cells, whole blood cells, and lymphocytes were significantly lower in the lycopene-treated BDL group, compared with the BDL group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lycopene significantly reduced the DNA damage, and markedly recovered the liver and kidney tissue injuries seen in rats with obstructive jaundice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Hacettepe, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevtap
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aydın
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokaç
authors.forename: Gökçe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Taner
authors.forename: Ata Türker
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Arıkök
authors.forename: Halit Ziya
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Dündar
authors.forename: Alper Bilal
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Ozkardeş
authors.forename: Mine Yavuz
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Taşlıpınar
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kılıç
authors.forename: Arif Ahmet
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Başaran
authors.forename: Nurşen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Başaran
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002374:Catalase / Q000032:analysis; D004249:DNA Damage; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis; D041781:Jaundice, Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D000077276:Lycopene; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000032:analysis; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002338:Carotenoids; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D005978:Glutathione; D000077276:Lycopene