Phytochemicals Lycopene Inhibits Cancer Caused by NADPH Oxidase Induced Overexpression of Free Radicals

By Kyle J. Norton

NADPH oxidases, a multisubunit enzyme comprising membrane and cytosolic components plays a critical role to protect our body against pathogenic microorganism by maintaining the immune function, cell growth, and apoptosis.

NOX family of NADPH oxidases deficiency can cause immunosuppression, leading to the overexpression of intracellular ROS that results in various lethal diseases.

Epidemiologically, diseases associated with NOX family of NADPH oxidases deficiency induced immunosuppression are frequent and recurrent pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections, ear infections, meningitis or skin infections, inflammation, and infection of internal organs, blood disorders, such as low platelet counts or anemia, digestive problems, such as cramping, loss of appetite, nausea and diarrhea and delayed growth and development, particularly in cancer developing.

The NOX family of NADPH oxidases overexpression caused by a defect of its different subunits produced high levels of ROS in the gastrointestinal tract that causes chronic inflammatory stress; cytokine induction, leading to the formation of digestive cancer such as colorectal cancer.

A recent joint study led by the National Cancer Institute suggested that lycopene may be used for the treatment of cancer that targets the expression of NADPH oxidase 4-5 (NOX4-5).

Cancer is a class of diseases caused by cell growth irregularly and uncontrollably due to the alternation of cell DNA. Over time, cancer cells induced tumor formation to become progressively worse, leading to secondary metastasis.

Lycopene is a phytochemical in the class of carotenoid, a natural pigment with no vitamin A activity found abundantly in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables, such as red carrots, watermelons, and papayas.

Tomatoes provide about 80% of the lycopene in the world diet. In plants, lycopene protects the host against excessive photodamage and perform various functions in photosynthesis.

In patients with chronic pancreatitis, overexpression of free radical has been found to orchestrating pancreatic cancer.

Furthermore, NOX4 overexpression increased the pre-malignant fibrotic states that lead to carcinomas of the lung and liver.

High expression of NOX5 is also found in patients with malignant melanomas, prostate cancer, and Barrett's esophagus-associated adenocarcinomas,

NOX4 and 5 are members of the NOX family of NADPH oxidases.

Furthermore, lycopene administration in vitro and vivo significantly inhibited NOX4 protein expression at 2.5 μM, compared to other concentrations.

The efficacy of lycopene ameliorated the expression of NOX4 protein was attributed to the significant inhibition of the NOX4 mRNA expression associated with the function of NOX in the production of reactive oxygen species.

Dr. Roy K, the lead scientist in the investigation of the risk of cancer in the NOX family of NADPH oxidases wrote, "Over-expression of functional NOX proteins in many tissues helps to explain tissue injury and DNA damage from ROS that accompany pre-malignant conditions, as well as elucidating the potential mechanisms of NOX-related damage that contribute to both the initiation and the progression of a wide range of solid and hematopoietic malignancies".

In SK-Hep-1 cells, intracellular ROS levels were also decreased by the injection of lycopene.

Moreover, the levels of NOX4 protein expression, and NOX activity and the intracellular ROS associated with transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)-induced cancer cell metastasis also were eradicated by the activity of lycopene upon injection.

Other mechanisms such as proteins involved in anti-apoptosis and enhanced cancer cells migration, invasion, and adhesion were also inhibited by the expression of lycopene.

Taken altogether, lycopene may be considered a natural remedy for the prevention of cancer cell metastasis associated with the overexpression of NADPH oxidase, pending to the confirmation of larger sample size and multicenter studies.

Intake of lycopene in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) Lycopene Inhibits Metastasis of Human Liver Adenocarcinoma SK-Hep-1 Cells by Downregulation of NADPH Oxidase 4 Protein Expression by Jhou BY1, Song TY2, Lee I3, Hu ML1,4, Yang NC. (PubMed)
(2) NADPH oxidases and cancer by Roy K1, Wu Y2, Meitzler JL2, Juhasz A2, Liu H1, Jiang G2, Lu J2, Antony S2, Doroshow JH. (PubMed)