NUTRITION AND CANCER-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, cilt.61, sa.6, ss.784-788, 2009 (SCI-Expanded)
We conducted a study to investigate if lycopene could reduce
gastrointestinal toxicity of abdominal and pelvic radiation inWistar
albino rats. Animals received either a control diet (Group 1),
lycopene-supplemented diet (Group 2), control diet and radiation
(Group 3), and lycopene-supplemented diet plus radiation (Group
4). In Groups 2 and 4, the rats received 5 mg/kg/day lycopene for
10 days. In Groups 3 and 4, the rats received single fraction 8 Gy
abdominal and pelvic radiation (RT) on Day 10. Study endpoints
included weight loss, diarrhea, duration of diarrhea, survival, and
an oxidative stress marker, plasma level of thiobarbituric acid reactive
substance (TBARS). The rats receiving RT only had significantly
higher weight loss rate compared to the lycopene plus RT
group (P = 0.001). Plasma TBARS levels after RT were also significantly
higher in the RT only group compared to lycopene plus
RT group (P = 0.001). In conclusion, lycopene supplementation
significantly reduced the weight loss and prevented oxidative stress
in rats treated with abdominopelvic radiation.