Barrier protective effects of lycopene in human endothelial cells

Lycopene has antioxidant and anticancer effects but its barrier protective effects and underlying mechanism are not fully identified. The potential barrier protective roles of lycopene in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were investigated. We determined the barrier protective effects of lycopene, such as permeability, leukocyte adhesion and migration, and activation of proinflammatory proteins in LPS-activated HUVECs. Lycopene inhibited vascular barrier permeability, expression of cell adhesion molecules, leukocyte adhesion and transendothelial migration in LPS-activated HUVECs. Further studies revealed that lycopene suppressed the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B), CD14 and Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4). These findings suggest that lycopene has barrier integrity activity, and inhibitory activity on cell adhesion and migration to endothelial cells by blocking the activation of NF-kappa B, CD14 and TLR4 expression and production of TNF-alpha, thereby endorsing its usefulness as therapy for vascular inflammatory diseases.