Cheers to the Heart, Cheers to the Brain, Cheers to Deep Reds: Resveratrol and Neuroprotection
Monday, August 30th, 2010** By Anh Thu V. Tran- Medical Director & Nutrition Consultant, Cyvex Nutrition
From the light- to medium-bodied prancing to the puckering power boldly dancing, full-bodied reds, aired, swirled, and sipped, experiencing each dynamic flavor from plum to currant to smoke and so forth, red wine in its nature not only provides a taste like no other, but also has been well supported to hold health benefits with moderate consumption. Despite diets of high amounts of saturated fats including butter and cheese, the paradox goes, the French have a relatively low incidence of cardiovascular events, which many have attributed to regular drinking of red wine. Filled with plentiful polyphenols, it is resveratrol that stands in the spotlight as it and its metabolites provide the antioxidant and HDL stimulating potential supporting a heart healthy lifestyle.
What if a glass of wine a day was equivalent to the recommended daily intake of baby aspirin or statins prescribed by a doctor? What if a glass of wine demonstrated protective effects against not only cardiovascular conditions, but also protected the cerebral vascular system, in other words, potential protection from stroke? Initial studies more than a decade ago, demonstrated the first evidence of partial neuroprotective action of chronic administration of resveratrol in vivo, suggesting a possible model for neurodegenerative injury (Virgili M et al., 2000). Five years later, subsequent studies showed pre-infused resveratrol protected the spinal cord from ischemic reperfusion injury in vivo by which resveratrol was found to decrease oxidative stress and increased nitric oxide release (Kiziltepe et al 2004). Further investigation led to findings that it not only acted as an antioxidant, but also directly inhibited voltage-gated K+ channels, which have been implicated in neuronal apoptosis (cell death) supporting another possible mechanism of action (Gao ZB et al., 2005, 2006). Indeed, resveratrol has been noted for its potential pre-dose protection, but recent studies also demonstrated post-ischemic dose immediately after traumatic brain injury reduced oxidative stress and lesion volume, which could be explained by its ability to relax smooth muscle in the wall of basilar artery contributing yet another role as a vasodilator (Ates O et al., 2007, Karaoglan A et al 2008).
Resveratrol’s beneficial effects include: (1) antioxidation (free radical scavenger and modulation of neuronal energy homeostasis and glutamatergic receptors/ion channels, (2) vasodilatory effects in pre- and post-treatment infusion protection of ischemic reperfusion injury, (3) directly increases sirtuin 1 (SIRT 1) activity and NAD (+) related to increased lifespan in various species similar to calorie restriction, and (4) pretreatment protection against cerebral ischemia and other organ systems, which could be a great potential target for further studies in treatment modalities.
More recently, an additional mechanism which resveratrol was suggested to have included anti-inflammatory characteristics as well. Zhang and team explained both in vitro and in vivo studies highlighting inhibition of activated microglia (2010). In doing so, microglia are unable to release pro-inflammatory factors, which produced reactive oxygen species, and activated signal pathways leading to neuroinflammation. With that being said, Parkinson’s disease (PD) and many other neurodegenerative diseases arise from over active microglia-mediated inflammation. As a subsequent follow-up study, Zhang and team applied resveratrol in vivo primary midbrain neuron-glia cultures that demonstrated clear protection of neurotransmitters (in the case of PD – dopamine) against LPS-induced neurotoxicity through the inhibition of microglial activation. In addition to these findings, Johns Hopkins University Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine team revisited resveratrol’s effect on stroke, demonstrating in vivo resveratrol pretreatment dose dependently protected against the ischemic reperfusion stroke model. Heme oxygenase was selectively deleted to suggest a potential intracellular pathway by which resveratrol can provide cell/organ resistance against neuropathological conditions (2010).
Indeed further studies are in order to determine specific dose and timing of resveratrol for optimal neuroprotective effects, but what is certain is that moderate consumption of resveratrol does demonstrate neuroprotective effects. As you air, swirl, and sip that dark red tonight and experience its dynamic nature in flavor and consistency, also realize its vast effect on your overall health. Cheers to the heart, cheers to the brain, cheers to deep reds <cling, cling>.
References (For an extended list please contact us)
Sakata Y et al., “Resveratrol protects against experimental stroke: putative neuroprotective role of heme oxygenase 1,” Exp Neurol, 2010; 224, 325-9.
Zhang F et al., “Anti-inflammatory activities of resveratrol in the brain: role of resveratrol in microglial activation,” Eur J Pharmacol, 2010; 636:1-7.
Zhang F et al., “Resveratrol protects dopamine neurons against lipopolysaccharide-induced neurotoxicity through its anti-inflammatory actions,” Mol Pharmacol, 2010; 78:466-77
Author’s bio: Dr. Anh Thu V. Tran is the Medical Director & Nutrition Consultant for Cyvex Nutrition, PGY-1 Resident with UC Davis Family Medicine Residency Network, and Founder of Strive to Live Well. She holds a M.D. from St. George’s University, a M.S. in Nutrition from Loma Linda University, and a B.Sc. in Biology & Women’s Studies from UC Irvine.
