title: Hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of lycopene on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rat.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of lycopene (Ly) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in rat.
  
  
  METHODS
  A rat model of NAFLD was first established by feeding a high-fat diet for 14 wk. Sixty-five rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group and Ly treatment groups. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC) in serum and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), free fatty acid (FFA), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) in liver tissue were evaluated, respectively. While the hepatoprotective effect was also confirmed by histopathological analysis, the expression levels of TNF-α and cytochrome P450(CYP) 2E1 in rat liver were determined by immunohistochemistry analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant decrease was observed in the levels of serum AST (2.07-fold), ALT (2.95-fold), and the blood lipid TG (2.34-fold) and TC (1.66-fold) in the dose of 20 mg/kg Ly-treated rats (P< 0.01), compared to the model group. Pretreatment with 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg of Ly significantly raised the levels of antioxidant enzyme SOD in a dose-dependent manner, to 90.95 ± 9.56, 109.52 ± 11.34 and 121.25 ± 10.68 (P< 0.05,P< 0.01), as compared with the model group. Similarly, the levels of GSH were significantly increased (P< 0.05,P< 0.01) after the Ly treatment. Meanwhile, pretreatment with 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg of Ly significantly reduced MDA amount by 30.87, 45.51 and 54.49% in the liver homogenates, respectively (P< 0.01). The Ly treatment group showed signiﬁcantly decreased levels of lipid products LDL-C (P< 0.05,P< 0.01), improved HDL-C level and significantly decreased content of FFA, compared to the model group (P< 0.05,P< 0.01). Furthermore, the Ly-treated group also exhibited a down-regulated TNF-α and CYP2E1 expression, decreased infiltration of liver fats and reversed histopathological changes, all in a dose-dependent manner (P< 0.05,P< 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that Ly has a protective effect on NAFLD, down-regulates expression of TNF-α, and that CYP2E1 may be one of the action mechanisms for Ly.
authors.affiliation: Wei Jiang, Mei-Hua Guo, Xin Hai, Pharmacy Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Wei Jiang, Mei-Hua Guo, Xin Hai, Pharmacy Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Mei-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Wei Jiang, Mei-Hua Guo, Xin Hai, Pharmacy Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hai
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000077276:Lycopene; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D020011:Protective Agents; D014280:Triglycerides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002338:Carotenoids; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D005978:Glutathione; D000077276:Lycopene
keywords: Antioxidant; Cytochrome P450 2E1; Hepatoprotective; Lycopene; Non-alcoholic fatty liver