Synergistic effect between lycopene and ciprofloxacin on a chronic bacterial prostatitis rat model

Traditionally, long-term antibiotic therapy has been the gold standard treatment for chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP). However, the treatment outcome is not ideal and long-term administration of antibiotics can result in adverse effects and bacterial resistance. For these reasons, both patients and physicians are dissatisfied with the management of this disease and there is interest in phytotherapy and other alternative therapies. Lycopene, an extract of tomatoes, has been reported to have an anti-inflammatory effect via an antioxidative function. To evaluate the therapeutic effect of lycopene on CBP, we developed a CBP rat model treated with ciprofloxacin or lycopene, or both. After 2 weeks of treatment, results of microbiological cultures of the prostate and urine as well as histological findings of the prostate were analysed. The ciprofloxacin group and the lycopene/ciprofloxacin group showed a statistically significant decrease in bacterial growth and improvement in prostatic inflammation compared with the control group. The lycopene/ciprofloxacin group also showed a statistically significant decrease in bacterial growth and improvement in prostatic inflammation compared with the ciprofloxacin group. These results suggest that lycopene may have an additional (synergistic) effect with ciprofloxacin in the treatment of CBP.