RESUMO
Objective: To investigate the effects of lycopene on glycolipid metabolism and pancreatic tissue inflammation in obese mice and its underlying mechanism. Methods: The obese mouse model was induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). The effects of lycopene on body weight, blood glucose, blood lipid and body fat were observed after 8 weeks of administration. Pathological changes of pancreas were observed by HE staining. Protein expressions involved in TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway were detected by Western blotting, and the degree of macrophage infiltration in the pancreatic tissues of obese mice were detected by IHC. Results: Lycopene significantly inhibited body weight gain and reduced fasting blood glucose, as well as improved glucose tolerance and blood lipid level in obese mice. In addition, lycopene also reduced vacuolization, edema degeneration, islet hypertrophy and other inflammatory lesions in pancreatic tissues. Moreover, the protein expression levels of TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB in pancreatic tissue were decreased and the inflammatory infiltration was reduced. Conclusion: Lycopene can improve blood glucose, lipid metabolism and pancreatic inflammation in obese mice, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.
