Lycopene nanoparticles promotes osteoblastogenesis and inhibits adipogenesis of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

OBJECTIVE: Lycopene is a carotenoid and antioxidant with potent singlet oxygen quenching ability that reduces oxidative stress and promotes bone health. However, the cellular mechanisms by which lycopene influences bone metabolism are not known. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study investigated the effects of lycopene nanoparticles on the differentiation of rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts or adipocytes. RESULTS: In osteogenic medium, lycopene supplementation dose-dependently enhanced osteoblast differentiation, as evidenced by the transcription of Alpl, Runx2, Col1a1, Sp7, and Bglap, higher alkaline phosphatase activity, osteocalcin secretion and extracellular matrix mineralisation seen with Alizarin red S staining, and increased haem oxygenase levels. By contrast, lycopene in adipogenic medium inhibited adipocyte differentiation evidenced by decreases in the transcription of Tnfsf11, Tnfrsf11b, Pparg, Lpl, and Fabp4 and reduced fat accumulation observed by Oil Red O staining. CONCLUSIONS: Lycopene nanoparticles may promote bone health and are considered as a potential candidate for the prevention and/or treatment of bone loss conditions.

The possible protective effect of L-arginine against 5-fluorouracil-induced nephrotoxicity in male albino rats.

5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is a potent antineoplastic agent used for the treatment of various malignancies. The L-arginine nitric oxide (NO) pathway involved in the pathogenesis of chemotherapy induced kidney damage. This work investigated the beneficial mechanism of L-arginine supplementation in 5-FU induced nephropathy. Eighty male Wistar rats were divided into four equal groups: control group; L-arginine group (378 mg/rat/day for 4 weeks); 5-FU group (189 mg/rat/week for 4 weeks) and L-arginine for 1 week before and 4 weeks concomitant with 5-FU group. At the end of experiment, the kidney functions were assessed and kidneys specimens were processed for paraffin sections and stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Masson's trichome (MT) and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stains. Other sections were processed for immunohistochemical demonstration of caspase-3 and inducible NO synthase (iNOS). Image analyser was used to analyse the results morphometrically and statistically. L-arginine administration to 5-FU treated animals elicited significant reduction in serum urea and creatinine levels, urine volume, urinary protein excretion and kidney/body weight ratio in comparison to fluorouracil treated group. L-arginine improved glomeruloscelerosis, degeneration of convoluted tubules and interstitial fibrosis in 5-FU treated animals. L-arginine attenuated effectively some biochemical and histological changes in 5-FU nephrotoxicity.