Lycopene supplementation reduces TNF-α via RAGE in the kidney of obese rats.

BACKGROUND: The kidney is a target organ for injuries caused by advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in obesity. The receptor of AGEs (RAGE) is proinflammatory and appears to have a role in the pathogenesis of renal disease due to obesity. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to verify the effect of obesity on renal damage and the effect of lycopene on these complicationsDesign and Methods:Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to receive a control diet (C, n=7) or a high-fat diet plus sucrose (HD+S, n=14) for 6 weeks. After this period, the HD+S animals were randomized into two groups: HD+S (n=7) and HD+S supplemented with lycopene (HD+S+L, n=7). The animals received maize oil (C and HD+S) or lycopene (HD+S+L) for a 6-week period. RESULTS: The HD+S and HD+S+L animals demonstrated insulin resistance (OGTT glucose after 150 min; C: 117.6±3.9