Nutr Res Pract.  2012 Apr;6(2):113-119.

Lutein decreases oxidative stress and inflammation in liver and eyes of guinea pigs fed a hypercholesterolemic diet

• Kim JE
• Clark RM
• Park Y
• Lee J
• Fernandez

Abstract

Guinea pigs were fed a hypercholesterolemic diet (0.25 g/100 g cholesterol) and randomly allocated either to a Control group (n = 9) or to a Lutein (0.1 g/100 g) group (n = 10) for 12 weeks to evaluate oxidative stress and inflammation in both liver and eyes. Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations and inflammatory cytokines were measured as well as hepatic nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) binding. Lutein concentrations were greater in eyes (P < 0.01) and liver (P < 0.001) in the Lutein group. All guinea pigs had high concentrations of hepatic cholesterol as well as high plasma ALT and AST levels indicative of liver injury. However, the Lutein group had 43% lower hepatic free cholesterol than the Controls (P < 0.05). Hepatic MDA and MDA in the eye were lower in the Lutein compared to the Control group (P < 0.05). Hepatic tumor necrosis factor-alpha was 32% lower in the Lutein group (P < 0.05). Lastly, the Lutein group presented lower NF-kappaB DNA binding activity than the Control group (P < 0.001). These results suggest that in the presence of high cholesterol, lutein exerts both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which can be explained by attenuated NF-kappaB DNA binding activity. Furthermore, results also suggest that lutein accumulates in the eyes of guinea pigs to protect against oxidative stress.

Keyword

Lutein; lipid peroxidation; inflammation; guinea pigs

MeSH Terms

Animals
Cholesterol
Cytokines
Diet
DNA
Eye
Guinea
Guinea Pigs
Inflammation
Lipid Peroxidation
Liver
Lutein
Malondialdehyde
NF-kappa B
Oxidative Stress
Plasma
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
Cholesterol
Cytokines
DNA
Lutein
Malondialdehyde
NF-kappa B
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Correlations between AST and free cholesterol (r = 0.57, P < 0.025) (Panel A) and ALT and free cholesterol (r = 0.66, P < 0.001) for 19 guinea pigs (n = 9, control and n = 10 for the lutein group). ALT and AST were determined by use of a COBAS C-111 analyzer.

• 

  Fig. 2 Malonaldehyde concentrations in liver and in eye of guinea pigs fed control (n = 9) or lutein (n = 10) diets. MDA concentrations were measured by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) *indicates P < 0.05.

• 

  Fig. 3 Concentrations of TNF-α, MCP-1 and IL-1β of liver and eye of guinea pigs fed control (n = 9) or lutein (n = 10) diets. Protein levels of cytokines were evaluated from homogenates of liver and eye using the MILLIPLEX MAP Mouse Cytokine PREMIXED Immunoassay kit *indicates P < 0.05.

• 

  Fig. 4 NF-kB p65 DNA binding activity of control and lutein treated guinea pigs. **P < 0.0001

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