Lipid biomarkers and metabolic effects of lycopene from tomato juice on liver of rats with induced hepatic steatosis

The effect of tomato juice supplementation on biomarkers and gene expression related to lipid metabolism in rats with induced hepatic steatosis

“…However, the histological examinations and the other inflammatory biomarkers in our samples did not show differences that matched the severity of steatosis, despite the fact that the intake of tomato juice together with the H diet significantly decreased the isoprostane content of the urine (Table 4), showing a positive effect on the amelioration of oxidative stress status [34]. In addition, in our previous analysis of liver metabolites under these conditions [16], we reported that the redox balance in liver samples from the HL group led to physiological conditions due to the increased hepatic content of reduced glutathione and the altered NAD/NADH ratio. In relation to the effect of the intake of tomato juice in the expression of genes involved in the fatty acid metabolism, in rats fed with standard diet supplemented with tomato juice (NL group), the overexpression of the fatty acid transporter Fabp2 and Pecr showed that under physiological conditions, the intake of lycopene improved the transport of fatty acid into hepatocytes and enabled more effective b-oxidation in the mitochondria, as these proteins are involved in the transformation of dienoyl-CoA into trans-enoyl-CoA, which allows continuation of b-oxidation when fatty acids cannot be cleaved by Acad enzymes due to the presence of double bounds [31].…”

“…Where small-and medium-chain acyl-CoA derivatives have the ability to cross the inner mitochondrial membrane by diffusion, longchain fatty acids require the activity of the enzyme Cpt1, which allows the linkage of acyl-CoA derivatives to a polar molecule of carnitine, resulting in the formation of acylcarnitine molecules that are transported into the mitochondria [48]. Despite the fact that Kohjima et al [50] have described a decrease in the expression of Cpt1 in steatosis, this gene was overexpressed in the HL group, which corresponds with the high carnitine content previously found in the liver of these animals [16], showing a higher influx of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria related to the linoleic acid content in the liver. In fact, this gene was the only one overexpressed in HL in comparison to HA animals, with a [twofold change and a confidence level of 90 %.…”

“…The animals and the study design are the same as previously reported [16], and the experiments were carried out under appropriate guidelines and approved by the Bioethics Committee of the University of Murcia. In brief, 24 male Sprague-Dawley rats, 8 weeks old (weighing 225-250 g), were fed with a standard diet (N) or a hypercholesterolemic and high fat diet (H) for 5 weeks and were provided with either water (A) or tomato juice (L) as a drink.…”

“…Tomato juice also shows a similar composition to fresh tomatoes, except for the vitamin C content, and it is considered as a good dietary source of lycopene and phenolic compounds [13], showing a positive effect on the regulation of some oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers [14,15]. Recently, we have reported that in rats with induced NAFLD, the consumption of tomato juice partially reverts their metabolic pattern from that shown on a high fat diet to that of a normal diet, even in metabolites not directly related to the redox status [16], which could be taken into consideration in the dietary strategies of steatosis treatment. In order to elucidate these findings, the aim of the present study was to ascertain the effect of tomato juice consumption on certain biomarkers and gene expression related to lipid metabolism in rats with induced steatosis, in order to identify the effect of tomato intake on the alleviation of NAFLD.…”

Lycopene Improves Diet-Mediated Recuperation in Rat Model of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

“…[9][10][11][12] Potential health benefits of lycopene (LYC) have been studied for more than 75 years. 7,13,14 In particular, experimental studies have shown that LYC supplementation effectively prevents the development of various liver injuries 15 : Animals were fed during several weeks with a high-fat diet (HFD) and supplemented with LYC, [16][17][18] an LYC metabolite, 16,19,20 or tomato juice as a source of LYC, 21,22 to prevent diet-mediated steatosis, 16,18,22 diethylnitrosamine-initiated HFD-promoted hepatocarcinoma, 17,19,20 and a metabolic pattern from an HFD. 21 The aim of this study was to assess the ability of LYC to return liver steatosis and to revert hepatic morphological changes produced by an HFD.…”