New insight into the effect of lycopene on the oxidative stress in acute kidney injury

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the nephroprotective effect of lycopene (LPN) in acute kidney injury (AKI) regarding the oxidative stress (OS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty Sprague Dawley male rats were divided into three groups – control group: rats treated with distilled water (orally) for 10 days (n = 10); AKI group: rats treated with distilled water and diclofenac (intraperitoneal) for 10 days (n = 10); treated group: rats treated with LPN (orally) and diclofenac for 10 days (n = 10). Body mass index (BMI) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were measured. Blood urea, serum creatinine (CreSerum), serum malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and kidney injury molecules (KIM-1) were measured in the all groups on the 11(th) day of the experiment. RESULTS: Diclofenac-induced AKI led to significant elevations of BMI, CreSerum, and blood urea compared with control (P < 0.05). In AKI model, eGFR was reduced to 11.69 ± 2.64 ml/min/1.73 compared with control group (15.88 ± 3.75 ml/min/1.73, P = 0.03). NGAL, MDA, and KIM-1 were elevated in AKI compared with control (P < 0.001). Pretreatment with LPN led to the reduction of blood urea and CreSerum as compared with AKI (P < 0.001). Similarly, eGFR was increased significantly to 14.81 ± 3.21 ml/min/1.73 compared with 11.69 ± 2.64 ml/min/1.73 in AKI (P = 0.02). Serum levels of NGAL, KIM-1, and MDA were reduced significantly in the LPN group as compared with AKI (P = 0.001), while the SOD serum level was increased to 33. 86 ± 8.61 pg/ml as compared to 22.78 ± 7.56 pg/ml in AKI (P = 0.006). As well, LPN reduced MDA/SOD ratio as compared with AKI (P = 0.00001). CONCLUSION: The finding of this study illustrated that LPN is an effective natural antioxidant that attenuates and prevents AKI through modulation of OS and lipid peroxidation. As well, LPN might be of great value in the prevention of nephrotoxicity that induced by nephrotoxic agents like diclofenac.