Articles
LYCOCARD-IN VITRO STUDIES: AN UPDATE
Article number
823_25
Pages
169 – 172
Language
English
Abstract
LYCOCARD, is an Integrated EU-funded project (6th Research Framework Programme) that commenced in April 2006. The aim of the project is to investigate the role of lycopene in processed tomatoes in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
The approach includes the contribution of the tomato producers, clinical and analytical scientists.
The details of the project are disseminated through conferences and the web site (www.lycocard.com). This presentation will focus initially on the organisation of LYCOCARD, indicating the roles of the producers, in vitro, in vivo and dissemination activities.
During the second part of the article, some of the advances made in the in vitro section of the project will be highlighted.
This will largely be concerned with lycopene bioavailability, and its interaction with oxidants including cigarette smoke.
One of the main areas of concern at the beginning of the proposed work, were the mechanisms responsible for the uptake of Lycopene.
The Work Packages (WP) in Marseille recently indicated that the scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-BI) is largely responsible for the uptake of (all E)-lycopene by Caco-2 cells, and that both CD36 and CD13 have no role in this process.
Other WPs have been concentrating on the effects of cigarette smoke on lycopene in solvents, plasma and in cell lines.
The bubbling of cigarette smoke through human plasma decreased the lycopene content by about 2-30%, with all-trans being more easily oxidised than the (Z)-isomers or ß-carotene.
The oxidation of lycopene with nitrogen radical generators also provided a spectrum of degradation products that may effect the gene expression of various cell lines.
Lycopene can also influence cell signalling and work in Rome indicated that lycopene was also responsible for inhibiting growth of a fibroblast and a macrophage cell line, following exposure to a cigarette smoke condensate.
Lycopene appeared to inhibit the growth through stimulating apoptotic pathways by reducing the phosphorylation of both AKT and Bad.
The data generated over the first year of the project are very encouraging.
Work has described a potential mechanism and identified polymorphisms in humans relating to lycopene uptake.
Further work has indicated a role of lycopene as an antioxidant, and this will be extended to define its role in human LDL. Active studies are also underway to find the importance of both (Z)-isomers as antioxidants and the bioactivity of many lycopene degradation products.
These studies should further define the biochemical functions of lycopene and inform the in vivo section for the design of more effective studies to evaluate the role of lycopene or processed tomatoes in preventing the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis within the EU population.
The approach includes the contribution of the tomato producers, clinical and analytical scientists.
The details of the project are disseminated through conferences and the web site (www.lycocard.com). This presentation will focus initially on the organisation of LYCOCARD, indicating the roles of the producers, in vitro, in vivo and dissemination activities.
During the second part of the article, some of the advances made in the in vitro section of the project will be highlighted.
This will largely be concerned with lycopene bioavailability, and its interaction with oxidants including cigarette smoke.
One of the main areas of concern at the beginning of the proposed work, were the mechanisms responsible for the uptake of Lycopene.
The Work Packages (WP) in Marseille recently indicated that the scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-BI) is largely responsible for the uptake of (all E)-lycopene by Caco-2 cells, and that both CD36 and CD13 have no role in this process.
Other WPs have been concentrating on the effects of cigarette smoke on lycopene in solvents, plasma and in cell lines.
The bubbling of cigarette smoke through human plasma decreased the lycopene content by about 2-30%, with all-trans being more easily oxidised than the (Z)-isomers or ß-carotene.
The oxidation of lycopene with nitrogen radical generators also provided a spectrum of degradation products that may effect the gene expression of various cell lines.
Lycopene can also influence cell signalling and work in Rome indicated that lycopene was also responsible for inhibiting growth of a fibroblast and a macrophage cell line, following exposure to a cigarette smoke condensate.
Lycopene appeared to inhibit the growth through stimulating apoptotic pathways by reducing the phosphorylation of both AKT and Bad.
The data generated over the first year of the project are very encouraging.
Work has described a potential mechanism and identified polymorphisms in humans relating to lycopene uptake.
Further work has indicated a role of lycopene as an antioxidant, and this will be extended to define its role in human LDL. Active studies are also underway to find the importance of both (Z)-isomers as antioxidants and the bioactivity of many lycopene degradation products.
These studies should further define the biochemical functions of lycopene and inform the in vivo section for the design of more effective studies to evaluate the role of lycopene or processed tomatoes in preventing the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis within the EU population.
Authors
G.M. Lowe
Keywords
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