Additional Benefits of Common Carotenoid

A new study analyzed the mechanism in which a common carotenoid may reduce damage associated with atherosclerosis, the build-up of fatty deposits called plaques on the inner lining of blood vessels, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Oxidative damage is one of the factors that cause damage to the inner lining of the blood vessels (the endothelial cells) and is a significant factor in the development of atherosclerosis.

In this new study, investigators examined the protective effect of the carotenoid lycopene on oxidative damage of endothelial cells. In this study, endothelial cells were treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to induce oxidative damage. Some of the cells were pre-treated with varying concentrations of lycopene. Prior to hydrogen peroxide exposure, another group of endothelial cells were pre-treated with a cholesterol-lowering drug that has significant antioxidant activity.

The results of the study showed that lycopene improved the morphological appearance of the hydrogen-peroxide-treated endothelial cells. Lycopene also decreased the production of malondialdehyde, which is a reactive compound often measured as a marker of oxidative stress in cells. Additionally, lycopene pre-treatment increased the viability (survival) of the cells and decreased the number of apoptotic cells (cells undergoing programmed cell death). Lycopene also decreased the hydrogen-peroxide-induced production of the messenger RNA (mRNA) for the transcription factors-p53, a tumor suppressor protein that plays a role in regulation of the cell cycle and for caspase-3, a pro-apoptotic protein. Furthermore, the study found that lycopene and the cholesterol-lowering drug exhibited similar protective effects on endothelial cells.

The researchers concluded, “Lycopene can decrease the oxidative injury of endothelial cells induced by H2O2, can attenuate the expression of p53 and caspase-3 mRNA in injured cells and can diminish the apoptosis of injured cells. These findings possibly explain in part why lycopene can prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.”

Reference:

Tang X, Yang X, Peng Y, Lin J. Protective Effects of Lycopene against H(2)O (2)-Induced Oxidative Injury and Apoptosis in Human Endothelial Cells. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 2009 Nov 14. Published Online Ahead of Print.