1. Academic Validation
  2. Lycopene ameliorates insulin resistance and increases muscle capillary density in aging via activation of SIRT1

Lycopene ameliorates insulin resistance and increases muscle capillary density in aging via activation of SIRT1

  • J Nutr Biochem. 2022 Jan;99:108862. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2021.108862.
Jing Li 1 Yingjiang Zhang 2 Xin Zeng 2 Yahong Cheng 2 Liu Tang 2 Ding Hong 3 Xiaolong Yang 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, P. R. China; Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P. R. China.
  • 2 Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P. R. China.
  • 3 Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P. R. China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 4 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, P. R. China. Electronic address: [email protected].
Abstract

Lycopene (Ly) is a kind of hydrocarbon, which belongs to the family of tetraterpene carotene and exists in red fruits and vegetables. The decrease of capillary density and blood flow with age is a significant reason for the increase of mortality and morbidity. Herein, our study aims to explore the effects of Ly (a bioactive food compound) on vascular aging in vitro and in vivo and its potential mechanisms. The cytological results showed that Ly could promote the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVECs) and enhance the ability of HUVECs to form capillary-like structures. Furthermore, the expression of SIRT1 in aged HUVECs was up-regulated. In vivo, aging rats showed signs of Insulin resistance and blood vessel damage. Additionally, the capillary density and blood flow were reduced during the vascular aging process in both D-gal-induced and naturally aging muscle. However, when Ly was given, these conditions could be reversed. Simultaneously, the contents of ATP, lactic acid and pyruvic acid were determined, and it was found that Ly could promote angiogenesis by increasing the utilization rate of glucose and promoting energy metabolism. Finally, in the Insulin resistance cell model, we knocked down the SIRT1 and administrated with Ly, and found that it couldn't restore Insulin transdution. In conclusion, all the data in this study demonstrate that Ly could reactivate SIRT1 and improve Insulin resistance, which was a reversible cause of vascular aging.

Keywords

Angiogenesis; Insulin resistance; Lycopene; SIRT1; Vascular aging.

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