Lycopene depresses glutamate release through inhibition of voltage-dependent Ca2+ entry and protein kinase C in rat cerebrocortical nerve terminals.

Lycopene is a natural dietary carotenoid that was reported to exhibit a neuroprotective profile. Considering that excitotoxicity and cell death induced by glutamate are involved in many brain disorders, the effect of lycopene on glutamate release in rat cerebrocortical nerve terminals and the possible mechanism involved in such effect was investigated. We observed here that lycopene inhibited 4-aminopyridine (4-AP)-evoked glutamate release and intrasynaptosomal Ca2+ concentration elevation. The inhibitory effect of lycopene on 4-AP-evoked glutamate release was markedly reduced in the presence of the Cav2.2 (N-type) and Cav2.1 (P/Q-type) channel blocker ω-conotoxin MVIIC, but was insensitive to the intracellular Ca2+-release inhibitors dantrolene and CGP37157. Furthermore, in the presence of the protein kinase C inhibitors GF109203X and Go6976, the action of lycopene on evoked glutamate release was prevented. These results are the first to suggest that lycopene inhibits glutamate release from rat cortical synaptosomes by suppressing presynaptic Ca2+ entry and protein kinase C activity.