Influence of tomato and lycopene supplementation on the cardiac remodeling after acute myocardial infarction (LB337)

Abstract

Due to its antioxidant properties, tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and one of its primary constituents, lycopene have been evaluated in clinical and experimental studies. Our objective was to evaluate the influence of tomato and lycopene supplementation on the cardiac remodeling after acute myocardial infarction. Wistar rats were assigned to 6 groups: SHAM group, in which animals were submitted to simulated surgery (SHAM group; n=15); SHAM group that received lycopene 1mg/kg of body weight/day in the chow (SHAM‐L group, n=9); SHAM group that received tomato in the chow (SHAM‐T group, n=10); myocardial infarction (MI) group, in which animals were submitted to coronary artery ligation (MI group, n=16); MI group that received lycopene 1mg/kg of body weight/day in the chow (MI‐L group, n=12); and MI group that received tomato in the chow (MI‐T group, n=15). The amount of tomato supplemented had the same quantity of lycopene that was given for the groups supplemented only with this carotenoid. The rats were observed for 3 months. One‐way ANOVA was performed for infarct size comparison and two‐way ANOVA for the others comparisons. Infarct size was not different between groups (MI: 35.0 ± 11.5%; MI‐L: 33.6 ± 11.4%; MI‐T: 33.9 ± 9.7%; p=0.94). In the echocardiographic analysis the MI groups had higher values of left cardiac chambers and mass index compared with the SHAM groups. In addition, diastolic and systolic functions were worse in the MI groups. In this in vivo analysis, lycopene and tomato supplementation did not influence left ventricular morphology and function. Isolated heart study (Langendorff preparation) also showed no effect of lycopene and tomato supplementation in cardiac function. In conclusion, lycopene and tomato supplementation did not attenuate cardiac remodeling after MI.Grant Funding Source: Supported by FAPESP and CNPq