Protective Potential of Lycopene Enriched Tomato Extract against Dexamethasone Induced Hepatic and Renal Damage in Mice

Aim: The present study was carried out to determine the protective potential of Lycopene enriched tomato extract (LycT) against hepatic and renal damage caused in mice by dexamethasone administration.

Study Design: Male LACA mice were randomly divided into four treatment groups (n=6-7 animals per group) depending upon the treatment they received. Group I (control) animals served as control and were orally administered with olive oil (vehicle) thrice a week for five weeks. Group II (DEX) animals were intraperitoneallly (i.p.) administered with dexamethasone at a dose of 5 mg/kg b.w. on alternate days for three weeks. Group III (LycT) animals were orally (p.o.) administered with LycT at a dose of 5 mg/kg b.w. on alternate days for five weeks. Group IV (LycT+DEX) animals were co-administered with LycT (p.o.) and dexamethasone (i.p.) according to the above mentioned dose regimen

Results: Dexamethasone caused hepatic and renal damage as evident from disturbed histoarchitecture, deranged levels of organ function markers (alkaline phosphatase, serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, total and direct bilirubin, urea, creatinine) and enhanced level of cell damage (lactate dehydrogenase) and oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation) markers. Increased blood glucose level, decreased hepatic glycogen level along with inhibited activities of enzymes involved in glycolysis (hexokinase, phosphoglucoisomerase) indicated altered glucose metabolism in DEX group. The mitigation in histoarchitectural alterations, cell damage and oxidative stress markers, improved levels of organ function markers, blood glucose level along with ramped up antioxidant defense system indicated the protective potential of LycT against dexamethasone induced ill effects.

Conclusions: These results point towards beneficial effects of LycT against dexamethasone induced damage to hepatic and renal tissues in mice.