HEALTH NEWS

Study Title:

Resveratrol Selectively Inhibits Only Abnormal Cell Growth in Artery Walls

Study Abstract

We investigated the role of resveratrol, a polyphenol rich in red wine, in cell cycle progression and apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Resveratrol inhibited the growth of human aortic VSMCs at concentrations as low as 1 microM. This was due to the profound dose-dependent inhibition of DNA synthesis by resveratrol. DNA synthesis was more effectively inhibited when cells were pretreated with resveratrol. Resveratrol caused a dose-dependent increase in intracellular p53 and p21(WAF1/CIP1) levels. At lower concentrations (6.25-12.5 microM), resveratrol effectively blocked cell cycle progression of serum-stimulated VSMCs without inducing apoptosis, while the higher concentration of resveratrol (25 microM) selectively induced apoptosis in the same VSMCs. Intriguingly, however, the same high concentration of resveratrol could not induce apoptosis in quiescent VSMCs. These differential biological effects of resveratrol on quiescent and proliferating VSMCs suggest that resveratrol may be capable of selectively eliminating abnormally proliferating VSMCs of the arterial walls in vivo.

Study Information

Mnjoyan ZH, Fujise K.
Profound negative regulatory effects by resveratrol on vascular smooth muscle cells: a role of p53-p21(WAF1/CIP1) pathway.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun.
2003 November
Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA..