Cardioprotective effect of lycopene in the experimental model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury

The efficacy of lycopene to limit myocardial injury after ischemia and reperfusion was explored in the present study. Adult male albino Wistar rats were divided into three experimental groups and orally received olive oil as vehicle (sham and control I-R) or lycopene 1 mg/kg dissolved in olive oil (lycopene treated group) respectively for 31 days. On the 31st day, animals of the control I-R and lycopene treated groups were subjected to 45 min of occlusion of the LAD coronary artery and were thereafter reperfused for 1 h. The ischemia-reperfusion injury resulted in significant cardiac necrosis, depression in hemodynamics, decline in antioxidant status and rise in lipid peroxidation product levels in the control I-R group as compared to sham control. In histopathological examinations myocardial damage produced after I-R was significantly prevented in the lycopene treated group. Lycopene treatment resulted in preservation of the myocardial antioxidant status and altered hemodynamic parameters as compared to control I-R group. Furthermore, I-R-induced lipid peroxidation was significantly inhibited in the lycopene treated group. These beneficial cardioprotective effects also translated into the functional recovery of the heart. The beneficial effect of lycopene likely results from the suppression of oxidative stress, which results in the reduction of myocardial injury.