title: Lycopene Inhibits Urotensin-II-Induced Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy in Neonatal Rat Cardiomyocytes.
abstract: This study investigated how lycopene affected urotensin-II- (U-II-) induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and the possible implicated mechanisms. Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were exposed to U-II (1 nM) either exclusively or following 6 h of lycopene pretreatment (1-10  μ M). The lycopene (3-10  μ M) pretreatment significantly inhibited the U-II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, decreased the production of U-II-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS), and reduced the level of NAD(P)H oxidase-4 expression. Lycopene further inhibited the U-II-induced phosphorylation of the redox-sensitive extracellular signal-regulated kinases. Moreover, lycopene treatment prevented the increase in the phosphorylation of serine-threonine kinase Akt and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3 β ) caused by U-II without affecting the protein levels of the phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN). However, lycopene increased the PTEN activity level, suggesting that lycopene prevents ROS-induced PTEN inactivation. These findings imply that lycopene yields antihypertrophic effects that can prevent the activation of the Akt/GSK-3 β hypertrophic pathway by modulating PTEN inactivation through U-II treatment. Thus, the data indicate that lycopene prevented U-II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy through a mechanism involving the inhibition of redox signaling. These findings provide novel data regarding the molecular mechanisms by which lycopene regulates cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.
authors: Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei 111, Taiwan ; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan.
authors: Hung-Hsing
authors: HH
authors: Chao
authors: Department of Biological Science and Technology, College of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan ; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan.
authors: Li-Chin
authors: 0000-0003-1564-5592
authors: LC
authors: Sung
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan.
authors: Cheng-Hsien
authors: CH
authors: Chen
authors: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan ; Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan.
authors: Ju-Chi
authors: JC
authors: Liu
authors: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine and Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan ; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
authors: Jin-Jer
authors: JJ
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Biological Science and Technology, College of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan ; Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
authors: Tzu-Hurng
authors: TH
authors: Cheng