Abstract:

BACKGROUND: A number of studies have suggested that lycopene is an antioxidant which is used to decrease the risk of age-related chronic diseases.
OBJECTIVE: To establish a rat model of postmenopausal osteoporosis, and to investigate the effects of lycopene in preventing bone loss in ovatiectomized rat models of osteoporosis.
METHODS: The 6-month-old female Wistar rats, SPF grade, which had never given birth, were divided into sham and ovatiectomized groups. The ovatiectomized rats were further sub-divided into four groups which were administered with corn oil orally as model group, lycopene (10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg, daily) or treated by intraperitoneal injection with estradiol benzoate        (25 mg/kg, twice).
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After 12-week administration, as compared with the model group, the uterus weight of high-dose and low-dose lycopene groups significantly increased (P < 0.05); the Ca, P, superoxide dismutase levels, percent trabecular area, and trabecular number were obviously higher, and serum alkaline phosphatase, urine deoxypyridinoline, malondialdehyde, trabecular separation and number of osteoclasts were obviously lower in the lycopene groups than the model group (P < 0.05). The bone mass index, bone bio-mechanics and bone histomorphometry were better in the lycopene groups than the model group    (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that lycopene has a definite antiosteoporotic effect on ovatiectomized rats.