In Vivo Assessment of Lycopene Effect on Obesity-Induced Inflammation
Samar Kamel1
, Dalia W. Zeidan2, Howayda E. Khaled3 , Zinab Abd-Elhady Ali4 , Nadia G. Elrefaei4 and Mohamed S. El-Naggar5*1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
2Department of Home and Economics, Nutrition and Food Science Branch, Faculty of Education, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
3Zoology Department, Faculty of Sciences, Suez University, Suez, Egypt
4Clinical Skills Lab Department, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
5Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt.
Corresponding Author E-mail: msemaenr@science.suez.edu.eg
Abstract: A chronic low-grade inflammation is one of etiologic conditions closely associated with obesity. The study aims to examine the effect of lycopene on obesity inflammatory conditions in rats. 20 adult male albino rats were divided into four groups (n=5) and for 30-day treatment they were divided into the control group received corn oil as a vehicle, lycopene control group received lycopene extract (10 mg/kg) daily with gavage, obese control group subjected to high fat (HF) diet and received corn oil and obese/lycopene group subjected to HF diet and daily received lycopene extract by the same dose. Bodyweight, weight of thymus and spleen, cytokines [Resistin, Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNF-α) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6)], lipid profile, and immunohistochemical assay for the Nuclear Factor kappa-B receptors (NF-κB) expression were measured and analyzed. The results revealed that the induced obesity caused a remarkable increase in bodyweight, relative weight of thymus and spleen, levels of serum cytokines, total cholesterol and triglycerides and NF-κB receptors expression, but decreased high-density lipid (HDL) level significantly. Administration of lycopene to obese rats caused a significant depletion in the levels of serum cytokines, total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) with a significant increase in HDL level and caused no change in bodyweight, while the relative weight of the spleen and thymus was improved. Also, lycopene caused a marked decline in NF-κB receptors expression in thymus and spleen. These results supported the importance of lycopene as a beneficial carotenoid in combating obesity and companied disturbed fat index and metabolism.
Keywords: Cytokines; Lycopene; NF-κB; Obesity Back to TOC