Lycopene Supplementation Prevents the Development of Spontaneous Smooth Muscle Tumors of the Oviduct in Japanese Quail

Abstract

Leiomyomas (fibroids) are benign tumors of the uterus affecting millions of women. Spontaneous leiomyomas of the oviduct are common tumors of the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica), which makes it a good animal model for screening potential agents for testing in the prevention and treatment of human myoma uteri. Because dietary intake of lycopene has been associated with a reduced risk of a variety of human cancers, we investigated the effects of lycopene supplementation on the development of leiomyomas in the oviduct of Japanese quail. We also measured serum levels of oxidative stress markers [malondialdehyde (MDA) and homocysteine], lycopene, vitamins C, E, and A, and tissue biomarkers Bcl-2 and Bax expression. One hundred twenty quails (6 mo old) were assigned to 3 treatment groups consisting of 4 replicates of 10 birds in each group. Birds were fed either a basal diet (group C) or the basal diet supplemented with 100 mg (group L1) or 200 mg (group L2) of lycopene per kilogram of diet. The animals were sacrificed after 285 days and the tumors were identified. Lycopene supplementation decreased the number of leiomyomas compared with control subjects (P=0.056). The tumors in lycopene-fed birds were smaller than those found in control birds (P=0.01). There were no significant differences in the expression of tissue Bcl-2 and Bax among the study groups. Serum vitamins C, E, and A increased (P=0.01), whereas MDA and homocysteine concentrations decreased (P=0.01) with lycopene supplementation. No measurable lycopene could be detected in the serum of control birds, whereas a dose-dependent increase was observed in the serum of lycopene-supplemented birds. The results indicate that dietary supplementation with lycopene reduces the incidence and size of spontaneously occurring leiomyoma of the oviduct in the Japanese quail. Clinical trials should be conducted to investigate the efficacy of lycopene supplementation in the prevention and treatment of uterine leiomyoma in humans.

The Effects of Tomato Powder Supplementation on Performance and Lipid Peroxidation in Quail

“…Similar to our results, Jain et al (1999) reported that dietary lycopene decreased serum TBA reactive substances (14% reduction) concentration in rats. Sahin et al (2004Sahin et al ( , 2006a reported that quail supplemented with pure lycopene had a significant reduction in MDA values in serum and liver.…”

Lycopene and other carotenoid intake in relation to risk of uterine leiomyomata

“…One study in Japanese quail demonstrated that supplementation with lycopene reduces the incidence of leiomyoma in these animals (9). However, lycopene action in an animal model may not accurately represent lycopene action in humans.…”

“…The administration of a lycopene supplement to quail results in reduced number and size of leiomyoma in the oviduct compared to quail who did not receive the lycopene supplement (9). To our knowledge, the relation between carotenoids and UL has not been investigated in humans.…”

152 Lycopene in the Prevention of Renal Cell Cancer in the Tsc2 Mutant Eker Rat Model

“…However, in our previous in vivo study in Japanese quail model we observed that lycopene could inhibit the formation of fibroid tumors in a dosedependent manner [25]. Tang et al [28] suggested that lycopene could act as a chemopreventive agent against the growth and progression of colorectal cancer in a mouse xenograft model.…”

“…The rats were fed either a basal diet or the basal diet supplemented with either 100 or 200 mg lycopene per kilogram of diet. The dose of lycopene was chosen based on our previous studies in the Japanese quail model [25]. Lycopene supplement was provided by DSM Nutritional Products Ltd, Switzerland, a 10% pure lycopene product.…”