Neuroprotective Properties and Mechanisms of Resveratrolin in Vitro and in Vivo ExperimentalCerebral Stroke Models

摘要

Resveratrol, a natural stilbene present at relatively high concentrations in grape skin and seeds and red wine, is known for its purported antioxidant activity in the vascular and nervous systems. In contrast to its direct antioxidant role within the central nervous system, recent research supports a protective mechanism through increasing endogenous cellular antioxidant defenses, which triggers a cascade of parallel neuroprotective pathways. A growing body of in vitro and in vivo evidence indicates that resveratrol acts through multiple pathways and reduces ischemic damage in vital organs, such as the heart and the brain, in various rodent models. Most of the protective biological actions of resveratrol have been associated with its antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic properties and other indirect pathways. Continued public interest and increasing resveratrol supplements on the market warrant a review of the available in vitro and in vivo science reported in the stroke-related literature. Rigorous clinical trials evaluating the effects of resveratrol in stroke are absent, though the general population consumption appearsto be relatively safe. Resveratrol has shown potential for treatingstroke in laboratory animals and in vitro human cellstudies, yet there is still a need for human research in preclinicalsettings. This review summarizes many of the findings on the neuroprotectivepotential of resveratrol in cerebral stroke, focusing on both the in vitro and in vivo experimental modelsand some proposed mechanisms of action.