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Consumption of tomato products is associated with a decreased risk of developing prostate cancer, and lycopene, the red carotenoid in the tomato, is a potent antioxidant that might contribute to this chemoprevention activity. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 105 African American men veterans, recommended for prostate biopsy to detect cancer, was carried out to investigate whether oral administration of lycopene increases lycopene levels in blood and prostate tissue and lowers markers of oxidative stress. Urology patients were randomly assigned to receive 30 mg/d of lycopene as a tomato oleoresin or placebo for 21 days prior to prostate biopsy for possible diagnosis of prostate cancer. A total of 47 men had a diagnosis of prostate cancer, and 58 men had a diagnosis of benign prostate hyperplasia. Diet, smoking, and drinking habits were assessed. For the men receiving lycopene, the mean lycopene concentration increased from 0.74 ± 0.39 to 1.43 ± 0.61 μmol/L in plasma (P < 0.0001) and from 0.45 ± 0.53 to 0.59 ± 0.47 pmol/mg in prostate tissue (P = 0.005). No significant changes in the DNA oxidation product 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine and the lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde were observed in prostate tissue and plasma, respectively, as a result of lycopene administration.

This report details the findings of a single-dose Phase I pharmacokinetic and toxicity study of a food-based formulation of lycopene in healthy adult male subjects. Five dosing groups (n = 5 per group) were sequentially treated with increasing doses of lycopene ranging from 10 to 120 mg. Blood samples were collected for a total of 28 days (672 h) after administration of single doses of lycopene. The mean time (t(max)) to reach maximum total lycopene concentration (C(max)) ranged from 15.6 to 32.6 h. The C(max) for total lycopene ranged between 4.03 and 11.27 microg/dl (0.075-0.210 microm). Mean AUC(0-96) and elimination half-life for total lycopene ranged from 214 to 655 microg h/dl (3.986-12.201 micromol h/l) and 28.1 and 61.6 h, respectively. The changes observed in lycopene exposure parameters (e.g., C(max) and AUC(0-96)) were not proportional to increments in dose, with larger increases observed at the lowest end of the dosing range (10-30 mg). Chylomicron lycopene was measured during the first 12 h with the differences observed among the dosing groups not reaching statistical significance. These findings may reflect a process of absorption that is saturable at very low dosing levels or may be explained by the large interindividual variability in attained lycopene concentrations that were observed within each dosing group. Pharmacokinetic parameters for trans- and cis-lycopene isomers were calculated and are reported here. The formulation was well tolerated with minimal side effects, which were mainly of gastrointestinal nature and of very low grade.

A physiological pharmacokinetic model was developed to describe the disposition of lycopene, delivered as a tomato beverage formulation in five graded doses (10, 30, 60, 90, or 120 mg), for a phase I study in healthy male subjects (five per dose). Blood was collected before dose administration (0 h) and at scheduled intervals until 672 h. Serum concentrations of carotenoids and vitamins were measured by high performance liquid chromatography analysis. The model was comprised of seven compartments: gastrointestinal tract, enterocytes, chylomicrons, plasma lipoproteins, fast-turnover liver, slow-turnover tissues, and a delay compartment before the enterocytes. As predicted, the percent absorption at the 10 mg dose (33.9 +/- 8.1%) was significantly greater than at the higher doses; however, the amount of lycopene absorbed (mg) was not statistically different (mean: 4.69 +/- 0.55 mg) between doses, suggesting a possible saturation of absorptive mechanisms. The slow-turnover tissue compartment served as a slow-depleting reservoir for lycopene, and the liver represented the fast-turnover pool. Independent of dose, 80% of the subjects absorbed less than 6 mg of lycopene. This may have important implications for planning clinical trials with pharmacological doses of lycopene in cancer control and prevention if absorption saturation occurs at levels that are already being consumed in the population.

Consumption of lycopene, the predominant carotenoid in tomatoes and tomato products, is associated with reduced prostate cancer risk. The purpose of this study was to measure the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of lycopene after oral administration to male dogs. After single doses of 10, 30 and 50 mg/kg body weight (BW) lycopene to 2 dogs/dose, the mean half-life was 36 h and the plasma systemic exposure levels (AUC(0-)( infinity ), area under the curve) after the 30 and 50 mg/kg BW doses were similar. In a repeat dose study, 30 mg/(kg BW. d) administered orally to six dogs for 28 d resulted in steady-state plasma concentrations between 785 and 997 nmol/L lycopene. Apparent clearance, volume of distribution and apparent elimination half-life were 2.29 L/(h. kg), 96 L/kg and 30.5 h, respectively. Dogs were killed 1 or 5 d after the last dose and 23 tissues were collected for lycopene analysis. Lycopene concentrations were highest in liver, adrenals, spleen, lymph nodes and intestinal tissues. Liver lycopene concentrations were 66 and 91 nmol/g 1 and 5 d after cessation of treatment, respectively. Prostate lycopene concentrations were < 0.2 nmol/g both 1 and 5 d after dosing ceased (<0.4% of liver concentrations). Although 70% trans-lycopene was used in the dosing material, most of the lycopene identified in plasma and tissues was cis-lycopene.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the course of oxidative stress in trauma patients as measured by antioxidant disappearance and modulation of DNA damage. The study also explored the role of injury severity and the effect of changes in plasma lipoprotein concentration as the result of hemodilution on lipid-soluble plasma antioxidant concentrations., Methods: The study population included 17 adult male trauma patients in an urban level-1 trauma hospital and 12 healthy adult male controls. Blood was collected immediately after admission in the emergency room, and on days 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 of admission. Plasma antioxidant concentrations and total cholesterol concentrations were evaluated. DNA damage was evaluated using the ratio of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine to deoxyguanosine (8OhdG to dG). Admission data were compared with data from controls., Results: Plasma antioxidant concentrations (except alpha-tocopherol) significantly decreased by 9.9% to 34.3% in the 24 hours after trauma and remained depressed throughout day 8. Repeated measures regression analysis for trend showed a significant increase in unadjusted alpha-tocopherol from day 1 to day 8 (p < .008). No other unadjusted antioxidant or plasma cholesterol showed a significant change. After individually adjusting antioxidant concentrations by total cholesterol, only gamma-tocopherol (22.2%) and lycopene (22.6%) were decreased (p < .04) in the 24 hours after trauma. Repeated measures regression analysis for trend for the cholesterol-adjusted antioxidants showed a significant decrease from day 1 to day 8 for cholesterol-adjusted alpha-carotene (p < .007) and beta-carotene (p < .007). Trauma patients were divided into more and less severely injured groups based on Injury Severity Score (ISS). Decreases in antioxidant concentration from day 1 to day 2 were found for the patients in the more injured group, with no significant differences from day 1 to day 2 in the less severely injured group. Cholesterol-adjusted gamma-to copherol (29.7%, p < .003) and lycopene (32.7%, p < .05) decreased from day 1 to day 2 in the more severely injured group. Using repeated measures regression analysis for trend, the only antioxidant that was significantly different in the high versus low ISS groups from day 1 through day 6 was cholesterol-adjusted lutein-zeaxanthin (p < .02). Compared with controls, trauma patients had significantly lower (27.3% to 64.9%) concentrations of all cholesterol-adjusted antioxidants at day 1 except for lycopene. Trauma patients had higher leukocyte 8OhdG to dG ratios at admission (42.6%, p < .05), but 8OhdG to dG ratios tended to decrease over the 24 hours after trauma (p < .07). This decrease was greater in the 3 trauma patients with an admission 8OhdG to dG ratio greater than 6 x 10(-5) (59.3% versus 0.05%, p < .03)., Conclusions: The difference in antioxidant concentrations between trauma patients and controls may have been associated with oxidative stress or with a poorer diet. The difference between antioxidant concentrations and cholesterol-adjusted antioxidant concentrations is likely caused by hemodilution or by changes in plasma lipid levels as a result of trauma. Therefore, individually adjusting lipid-soluble antioxidant concentrations by total cholesterol concentrations is important in trauma patients. Leukocyte 8OhdG to dG ratios were already elevated in trauma patients on admission but returned nearly to control levels 24 hours later, indicating short-term responsiveness to DNA oxidation in trauma patients and an extensive capacity for DNA repair within 24 hours.

Discusses the source of oxidative stress during critical illness, with reference to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Production of ROS in human beings; Protection of the body against ROS by antioxidant systems; Details on DNA damage and cell death; In-depth look at ischemia reperfusion; Relationship of oxidative stress with sepsis and shock.

Examines evidence from cancer intervention trials with vitamins C and E and beta-carotene. Antioxidant chemoprevention trials; Need for a second generation of chemoprevention trials that include biomarkers; Identification of promising biomarkers; Biomarkers as measures of oxidative stress.