Determination of the protective effect of lycopene on nickel sulfate (NİSO4) toxicity in rats

It is known that nickel, which has wide use in industries, adversely affects the environment, human, and animal health. It has been stated that nickel has toxic effects on the liver, kidney, nerve cells, and reproductive system due to cellular apoptosis, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, DNA damage, and oxidative stress. In this study, the possible protective effects of lycopene, an acyclic isomer of β-carotene with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anticancer, and anti-cardiovascular properties, which is found in high amounts in various agricultural products (tomato, watermelon, red pepper, carrot, etc.), on nickel sulfate (NiSO4) toxicity, whose antidotal treatment is controversial, were investigated. In the study, a total of 24 Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups. Group I control daily saline intraperitoneally (i.p.) and corn oil (0.5 ml, oral gavage); NiSO4 (20 mg/kg, i.p.) 2 hours after Group II corn oil administration; Group III lycopene (10 mg/kg, oral gavage) was suspended in corn oil; NiSO4 (20 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered 2 hours after Group IV lycopene (10 mg/kg, oral gavage) was suspended in corn oil. Animals were euthanized by decapitation at the end of the experiment (day 22). As a result of this study, it was determined that lycopene did not cause any change in end body weight, and organ weights against NiSO4 toxicity. It did not cause any change in serum liver parameters in the amounts of AST, and ALT, but decreased the amounts of ALP, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and total cholesterol; It was determined that the amount of total protein increased. It was observed that it decreased the amount of uric acid, urea, and albumin, which are kidney parameters, but did not cause any change in creatinine. It reduces the amount of MDA, which is an indicator of lipid peroxidation in liver, and kidney tissue; It was determined that it increased the amount of GSH, and CAT, and did not cause a change in the amount of SOD. The difference between the groups was statistically significant in the semiquantitative evaluation of the severity of reticular, and vascular degeneration, necrosis, parenchyma dissociation, and inflammatory cell infiltrations in the hepatocyte cytoplasm, which were determined as liver histopathological examination criteria (p<0.001). In the semiquantitative evaluation of the severity of atrophy, reticular, and vascular degeneration, necrosis, and inflammatory cell infiltrations in the glomerulus, and tubules which were determined as kidney histopathological examination criteria, the difference between the NiSO4 group and the groups to which lycopene was added to the NiSO4 group for protective purposes was statistically significant (p<0.001). The amount of nickel accumulation in liver, and kidney tissue was determined by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) device. In terms of liver nickel accumulation, it was found that the accumulation was high and similar in the groups given NiSO4, and lycopene for protective purposes. Nickel accumulation in the kidney tissue was determined at the highest level in the NiSO4 group given lycopene for protective purposes (p<0.001). As a result, the protective effect of lycopene against NiSO4 toxicity was determined. The fact that nickel does not cause any change in some biochemical parameters suggests that it may occur depending on the dose, and duration of lycopene used.