Tyrosol, the major olive oil biophenol, protects against oxidized-LDL-induced injury in Caco-2 cells

Experimental and clinical evidence suggest that oxidative stress causes cel lular damage, leading to functional alterations of the tissue. Free radical s may thus play an important role in the pathogenesis of a number of human diseases. Among pro-oxidant agents, oxidized LDL lead to the production of cytotoxic reactive species, e.g., lipoperoxides, causing tissue injury and various subsequent pathologies including intestinal diseases. Thus, to anal yze the oxidative damage induced by oxidized LDL to intestinal mucosa, we e valuated morphological and functional changes induced in the human colon ad enocarcinoma cell line, Caco-2. In addition, we examined the protective eff ects exerted by tyrosol, 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethanol, the major phenolic com pound present in olive oil. Caco-2 cell treatment (24 and/or 48 h) with oxi dized LDL (0.2 g/L) resulted in cytostatic and cytotoxic effects characteri zed by a series of morphological and functional alterations: membrane damag e, modifications of cytoskeleton network, microtubular disorganization, los s of cell-cell and cell-substrate contacts, cell detachment and cell death. The oxidized LDL-induced alterations in Caco-2 cells were almost completel y prevented by tyrosol which was added 2 h before and present during the tr eatments. Our results suggest that some biophenols, such as those contained in olive oil, may counteract the reactive oxygen metabolite-mediated cellu lar damage and related diseases, by improving in vivo antioxidant defenses.