Lycopene attenuates oxidative stress induced experimental cataract development: an in vitro and in vivo study.

Abstract Objective Lycopene, a nutritional antioxidant, was evaluated for its anticataract potential to further establish its role in cataract prevention. Methods The ability of lycopene to modulate the biochemical parameters was investigated by in vitro studies. Enucleated rat lenses were maintained in organ culture containing Dulbecco's Modified Eagles Medium alone or in addition with 100 μM selenite and served as the normal and control groups, respectively. For the test group, the control medium was supplemented with 10 μM lycopene. The lenses were incubated for 24 h at 37°C. At the end of the incubation period, the lenses were examined for morphologic variation, and biochemical parameters such as reduced glutathione, the lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde, and the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase were estimated. In vivo selenite cataract was induced in 9-d-old rats by subcutaneous injection of sodium selenite (25 μmoles/kg of body weight). The rats in the test group were injected with lycopene (200 μg/kg body weight, intraperitoneally) 4 h before the selenite challenge. The incidence of cataract was observed when the rats first opened their eyes. Galactose cataract was induced in rats by feeding 30% galactose in the diet. Rats in the test group were fed orally with 200 μg/kg of lycopene daily, and rats in the control group received only vehicle. Cataract stages were graded at regular intervals. Results A fall (25%) in the glutathione level and a rise (32%) in the malondialdehyde content were observed in control as opposed to normal lenses. Lycopene supplementation in the medium significantly ( P P P Conclusions Lycopene protects against experimental cataract development by virtue of its antioxidant properties, and it may be useful for prophylaxis or therapy against cataracts.