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Anticancer activity of lycopene in HT-29 colon cancer cell line

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Abstract

An inverse association between serum lycopene levels and the risk of cancers has been pointed out by many prospective and retrospective epidemiological studies which prompted more studies to be performed on animal models and cell cultures in order to test this hypothesis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effect of lycopene on colon cancer HT-29 cell line. The effect of lycopene on the viability of HT-29 cell line was investigated using XTT assay. The levels of Bcl-2, cleaved caspase 3, BAX, cleaved PARP, and 8-oxo-dG in lycopene-treated HT-29 cells were measured using ELISA. Gamma-H2AX and cytochrome c expression was assessed semi-quantitatively using immunofluorescence staining. Lycopene at doses of 10 and 20 μM produced a significant antiproliferative effect on HT-29 cells compared to the control (p < 0.05). The IC50 value of lycopene in HT-29 cells was found to be 7.89 μM for 24 h. Lycopene (7.89 μM) significantly elevated cleaved caspase 3 (p < 0.01), BAX, and cleaved PARP, 8-oxo-dG levels (p < 0.05). The levels of γ-H2AX foci are significantly higher while the levels of cytochrome-c are lower (p < 0.05) in lycopene-treated HT-29 cells. These results indicate that lycopene has an antiproliferative apoptotic and genotoxic effect on HT-29 colon cancer cell line.

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All results obtained in this experiment were presented in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 and Table 1.

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Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank the Sivas Cumhuriyet University, School of Medicine, CUTFAM Research Center, Sivas, Turkey, for providing the necessary facilities to conduct this study.

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Self-funded by the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey

    Dilara Ataseven

  2. Departments of Medical Services and Techniques, Vocational School of Health Services, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey

    Ayşegül Öztürk

  3. Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey

    Mustafa Özkaraca

  4. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey

    Ziad Joha

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  1. Dilara Ataseven
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  2. Ayşegül Öztürk
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Ataseven, D., Öztürk, A., Özkaraca, M. et al. Anticancer activity of lycopene in HT-29 colon cancer cell line. Med Oncol 40, 127 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-023-02001-0

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