Human prostate cell cultures lycopene

Lycopene Oxidation, Uptake, and Activity in Human Prostate Cell Cultures... 

All-trans lycopene is rapidly isomerized to an equilibrium mixture with its cis isomers both in cell culture medium (Liu et al. 2006) and in vivo in prostate tissue (Clinton et al. 1996, van Breemen et al. 2002). The cis isomers of lycopene are absorbed better than the all -trans isomers when fed to humans (Unlu et al. 2007). The 5 -cis isomer predominates in plasma (Gustin et al. 2004). Since lycopene absorption by prostate cells might be due to facilitated diffusion (Liu et al. 2006), it is likely that the cis isomers of lycopene form a significant proportion of intracellular lycopene in the experiments that are reviewed later. 

Although the influence of lycopene and proliferation of carcinoma cells appears not limited to its ability to modulate Cx43 expression, lycopene as well as its oxidation products have been reported to enhance GJC in cultured cells (Livny et al., 2002 Stahl et al., 2000). Recent data indicate that lycopene may indeed increase connexin-43 expression in human prostate (Kucuk et al., 2001). 

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