Does resveratrol induce pharmacological preconditioning?

• Published in: International journal on tissue reactions Vol. 22; no. 1; p. 1
• Main Authors: Bradamante, S, Piccinini, F, Barenghi, L, Bertelli, A A, De Jonge, R, Beemster, P, De Jong, J W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 2000
• Subjects: Adenosine - metabolism; Animals; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena - drug effects; Heart - drug effects; Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial - methods; Male; Muscle Contraction - drug effects; Muscle Contraction - physiology; Myocardial Infarction - drug therapy; Myocardial Infarction - physiopathology; Myocardial Infarction - prevention & control; Myocardial Ischemia - drug therapy; Myocardial Ischemia - metabolism; Myocardial Ischemia - prevention & control; Myocardium - metabolism; Phosphates - metabolism; Phosphorylation - drug effects; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Recovery of Function - drug effects; Regional Blood Flow - drug effects; Regional Blood Flow - physiology; Reperfusion Injury - drug therapy; Reperfusion Injury - metabolism; Reperfusion Injury - physiopathology; Stilbenes - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0250-0868

Resveratrol is a grape component with complex pharmacology related to its antioxidant activity. Little is known about the direct effects of resveratrol on the myocardium. We tested whether resveratrol administration before ischemia could attenuate ischemic/reperfusion damage. We examined how resveratrol affects high-energy phosphate metabolism (31P-nuclear magnetic resonance) and contractility of isolated Langendorff perfused rat hearts subjected to 20 min no-flow ischemia and 30 min reperfusion. During 10 min resveratrol infusion (10 microM) before ischemia, basal phosphorylation potential dropped by 40% (p < 0.05 vs. preinfusion value) without affecting contractility. The level of effluent adenosine was increased by 68%, parallel to a 50% increase in coronary flow. Resveratrol significantly improved postischemic recovery of rate-pressure product (62 +/- 5.2 vs. 23 +/- 8.1% of controls; p < 0.05). The metabolic pattern following resveratrol infusion was similar to that produced by ischemic preconditioning, suggesting that an increase in adenosine availability is involved in cardioprotection.