EFFECT OF LYCOPENE AND BETA-CAROTENE ON PEROXYNITRITE-MEDIATED CELLULAR MODIFICATIONS
Date
2010
Authors
Muzandu, Kaampwe
Ishizuka, Mayumi
Sakamoto, Kentaro Q.
Shaban, Zein
Bohi, Khloodel
Kazusaka, Akio
Fujita, Shoichi
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Hokkaido University
Abstract
Peroxynitrite formed by the reaction of superoxide and nitric oxide is a highly reactive species with
a role in various pathological processes such as cancer, chronic inflammation, and cardiovascular
and neurological diseases. In the present study, the effect of the carotenoids, lycopene and
β-carotene, on peroxynitrite-mediated modifications in plasmid DNA as well as cellular DNA and
proteins were investigated. In pUC18 plasmid DNA, these carotenoids strongly inhibited DNA
strand breaks caused by peroxynitrite generated from 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1). SIN-1
was also used to determine effects on DNA damage and protein tyrosine nitration in Chinese
hamster lung fibroblasts. SIN-1 dose-dependently increased nitration of proteins in cells above
basal levels as determined by western blotting. This nitration was inhibited in the presence of the
uric acid as well as lycopene. Physiological concentrations (0.31-10 μM) of lycopene and
β-carotene also had protective effects on DNA damage, as measured by the comet assay. Lycopene
significantly reduced DNA damage particularly, in the median range of concentrations (2.5 μM).
The protective effects of lycopene and β-carotene could be due to their scavenging of reactive
oxygen (ROS) and/or nitrogen species (RNS) as they reduce the amount of intracellular ROS/RNS
produced following treatment with SIN-1 by as much as 47.5 and 42.4 %, respectively. The results
obtained in this study suggest that carotenoids may alleviate some of the deleterious effects of
peroxynitrite and possibly other reactive nitrogen species as well in vivo.
Description
Journal article
Keywords
DNA damage , Protein tyrosine nitration , Lycopene , β-carotene , Peroxynitrite