Protective Effect of Lycopene against Ethanol-induced Oxidative Kidney Damage in Rats

SUMMARY. Alcohol consumption can have dramatic effects on organs and tissue cells, with kidneys being some of the most affected organs. This study investigates the effect of lycopene on ethanol-induced oxidative kidney damage in rats. Albino Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups. The first group served as the healthy group (HG), receiving distilled water as a solvent; the second group was the ethanol group (EtON), receiving only ethanol; the third group received both lycopene and ethanol (LEt). While ethanol ad-ministration increased malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) levels, it caused a decrease in total glutathione (tGSH) and total antioxidant status (TAS) levels. Also, ethanol caused histopathological damage to the kidney. It has been observed that lycopene inhibits ethanol-induced biochemical and histopathological changes in kidney tissue. Lycopene inhibited the change in the oxidant-anti-oxidant balance towards oxidants under ethanol treatment and prevented ethanol-associated kidney oxidative damage.