The role of lycopene supplementation on cardiomyopathy associated with diet-induced obesity

• Grant number: 16/15304-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): November 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): October 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Ana Lucia do Anjos Ferreira
• Grantee: Koody Andre Hassemi Kitawara
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The imbalance between the production of reactive species (oxygen, ROS and nitrogen, RNS) and antioxidant defense system constitutes the oxidative stress. Due to the relevance of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of obesity and its complications, several therapeutic strategies using antioxidants have been tested. Lycopene is one of the best antioxidants among the carotenoids and although the connexion between lycopene and cardiovascular disease have been examined in several clinical and experimental studies, to our knowledge, no studies have addressed the effect of lycopene on echocardiographic abnormalities associated with obesity-induced diet. In the current study, male Wistar rats (n = 40), 30 days old, will be randomized into two groups with different dietary treatments ad libitum: standard diet + water (DP, n = 20) or high-caloric diet + water containing 40% saccharose (DH, n = 20) for 20 weeks. After 20 weeks, supplementation is initiated with lycopene (10 mg / kg / day) or vehicle (corn oil) via gavage for 10 weeks. Thus, animals will be divided as follows: control group (C, n = 10); Control + lycopene (C + Li, n = 10); Obese (Ob, n = 10) and obese + lycopene (Ob Li +, n = 10). At the end of the experiment (30th week), the animals will be euthanized to obtain samples of blood and heart (left ventricle). Will be studied: adiposity index; echocardiographic parameters (20th and 30th weeks); lycopene bioavailability in the heart and plasma; systolic blood pressure; total antioxidant capacity of plasma; Measurement of serum glucose and serum lipids; insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).