Influence of Lycopene Administration on Neopterin, Myeloperoxidase and Gamma Glutamyl Transferase in Diabetic Rats

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the influence of lycopene administration on serum Neopterin (NEO), Myeleperoxidase (MPO) and Gamma glutamil tramsferase (GGT) activity in rats with experimentally induced diabetes. Male Wistar-Albino rats aged 7-8 weeks and weighing 250-300 gr were used in the study. Rats were randomly allocated to four groups as control, lycopene, diabetes and diabetes -lycopene with 7 rats in each. 45 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) prepared in cold citrate buffer was applied via intraperitoneal route in order to induce experimental diabetes. Lycopene was prepared in corn oil and administered via peroral route through gavage in the dose of 10 mg/kg daily in lycopene and DL groups. Blood samples were taken into serum tubes from the hearts of the rats under general anesthesia at the end of 28 days of test period. Blood samples were centrifuged and serum was obtained. Neopterin, MPO and GGT activities were determined in serum samples. The lowest neopterin level was detected in control group (p<0.001). The highest neopterin level was obtained in diabetes group, neopterin level of lycopene group was lower than that of diabetes group however a statistically significant difefrence was not detected. Neopterin level of DL group was found lower than that of diabetes and lycopene groups and this decrease was statistically significant (p<0.001). MPO level was found the lowest in diabetes group compared to other groups (p<0.001). MPO level of control group was found statistically significantly higher than that of lycopene and DL group (p<0.001). No statistically significant difference was observed between groups with regard to CRP levels. GGT activity was the highest in diabetes group and the lowest in DL group (p<0.001). In conclusion, inflammation markers, neopterin and GGT were low in the groups which received lycopene. These findings suggest that lycopene may be useful for prevention of the complications of diabetes and related inflammation.