title: Lycopene protects against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced apoptosis by preventing mitochondrial dysfunction in primary neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypoxia/reoxygenation(H/R)-induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes plays an important role in myocardial injury. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant carotenoid that has been shown to have protective properties on cardiovascular system. The aim of the present study is to investigate the potential for lycopene to protect the cardiomyocytes exposed to H/R. Moreover, the effect on mitochondrial function upon lycopene exposure was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Primary cardiomyocytes were isolated from neonatal mouse and established an in vitro model of H/R which resembles ischemia/reperfusion in vivo. The pretreatment of cardiomyocytes with 5 µM lycopene significantly reduced the extent of apoptosis detected by TUNEL assays. To further study the mechanism underlying the benefits of lycopene, interactions between lycopene and the process of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis were examined. Lycopene pretreatment of cardiomyocytes suppressed the activation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) by reducing the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and inhibiting the increase of malondialdehyde (MDA) levels caused by H/R. Moreover, the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, a decline in cellular ATP levels, a reduction in the amount of cytochrome c translocated to the cytoplasm and caspase-3 activation were observed in lycopene-treated cultures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present results suggested that lycopene possesses great pharmacological potential in protecting against H/R-induced apoptosis. Importantly, the protective effects of lycopene may be attributed to its roles in improving mitochondrial function in H/R-treated cardiomyocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, North Sichuan Medical College First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchong, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Rongchuan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Houxiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Kai Hang
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Yiu
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhengping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D019610:Cytoprotection / Q000187:drug effects*; D000077276:Lycopene; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000083162:Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation / Q000187:drug effects; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; D000083162:Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore; D002338:Carotenoids; D010100:Oxygen; D000077276:Lycopene