Resveratrol, as a natural polyphenolic compound, has a wide range of beneficial effects, which includes anti-tumor, cardiovascular protection, anti-oxidant and estrogen-like effects, and so on. Its various physiological properties are closely related to the therapeutic principle for prevention and treatment of high altitude hypoxia injury. Resveratrol may play an important role in relieving or curing high altitude diseases, especially high altitude polycythemia(HAPC). However, the literature about study and application of resveratrol in plateau medicine field is rarely reported up to now. In this review, we summarized the physiological effects of resveratrol, discussed the possible main principle of resveratrol for HAPC therapy, and looked forward to resveratrol's perspective or potential application in high altitude medicine.
Altitude ; Humans ; Hypoxia ; drug therapy ; Polycythemia ; drug therapy ; Stilbenes ; pharmacology

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring stilbene, a kind of polyphenolic compounds, found in a limited number of plant species such as grape, peanut, and pine. It has been considered as a phytoalexin in plants, and many studies have also shown its health benefits such as antioxidant activities, cancer prevention, blood thinning, and life span extension. This paper reviews the characteristics of resveratrol in aspects of synthesis, extraction, purification, and determination. In particular, the new outcomes of physiology function and the transgenic approaches have been presented. The challenges and chances for genetic engineering and health-related industries were also discussed.
Genetic Engineering ; Plants ; chemistry ; Stilbenes ; chemical synthesis ; metabolism ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate neuroprotection of resveratrol against cytotoxicity of oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) in PC12 cells.

METHODSPC12 cells were pretreated with resveratrol for one hour as a neuron model and then exposed to oxLDL at varied concentrations. Effects of resveratrol on cell viability, permeability of cell membrane, cell nucleus and activity of caspase-3 were evaluated with MTT assay, lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay, DNA fragmentation (TUNEL) assay and assay for caspase-3 activity (caspase assay).

RESULTSCell viability, LDH release rate, percentage of cells with positive TUNEL and activity of caspase-3 were (62 +/- 3)%, (23 +/- 3)%, (26 +/- 5)% and (0.811 +/- 0.049) mol.min(-1).microg(-1), vs (84 +/- 7)%, (13 +/- 4)%, (12 +/- 4)% and (0.553 +/- 0.048) mol.min(-1).microg(-1) in PC12 cells treated with 10 mg/L oxLDL vs in those treated with 10 mg/L oxLDL plus 50 micromol/L resveratrol, respectively, with statistically significant difference.

CONCLUSIONResveratrol could attenuate cytotoxicity induced by oxLDL in PC12 cells with neuroprotection.

Animals ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; toxicity ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; PC12 Cells ; Rats ; Stilbenes ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo observe the inhibitory effect of resveratrol against the cytopathogenicity of enterovirus type 71.

METHODSThe cytotoxicity of resveratrol on Vero cells was detected using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). The antiviral activity of resveratrol in different stages of infection, with ribavirin as the control, was evaluated by determining the virus inhibition rate, medium effective concentration (IC(50)), and selection index (SI).

RESULTSResveratrol was nonpoisonous to Vero cells with an median toxic concentration (TC50) of 307.6 mmol/L. Resveratrol produced an obvious inhibitory effect against enterovirus type 71 only before the cell infection by the virus (IC(50)=20.2 mmol/L , SI=15.2), and once the cells were infected, resveratrol no longer had such antiviral effect.

CONCLUSIONSResveratrol may offer some protection against enterovirus type 71 in vitro.

Animals ; Antiviral Agents ; pharmacology ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Enterovirus ; drug effects ; Stilbenes ; pharmacology ; Vero Cells

Pterostilbene (3,5-dimethoxy-4'-hydroxystilbene) is a polyphenolic compound primarily found in blueberries, grapes, and a tree wood, pterocarpus marsupium. Studies demonstrate that pterostilbene inhibits a variety of cancers, such as lung, breast, stomach, colon, etc. The anti-cancer activities are related to the regulation of several hallmarks of cancer. Moreover, pterostilbene exhibits much greater bioavailability and bioactivity than resveratrol which warrants further investigation in the anti-cancer functions and mechanisms.
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Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Stilbenes ; chemistry ; pharmacology

Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; DNA Methylation ; drug effects ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Stilbenes ; pharmacology ; WT1 Proteins ; metabolism

Cellular autophagy is a major degradative pathway for clearance of aggregate-prone proteins and damaged organelles. It plays an important role in regulating cellular homeostasis, cell growth and development, and disease development. Dysfunctional autophagy contributes to the pathology of various neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease, in which specific pathological protein accumulation occurs. A growing body of evidence suggests that resveratrol plays a significantly role in the regulation of autophagy and clearance of pathological proteins. Resveratrol is a potential drug for neurodegenerative diseases therapy. This review focuses on the effects of resveratrol on cellular autophagy and clinical application in the control of neurodegenerative diseases.
Alzheimer Disease ; Autophagy ; Humans ; Huntington Disease ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; drug therapy ; Parkinson Disease ; Stilbenes ; pharmacology

Animals ; Guinea Pigs ; Heart Ventricles ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Male ; Stilbenes ; pharmacology

Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; drug therapy ; Insulin Resistance ; Stilbenes ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

Cell Line ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5 ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Microglia ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Stilbenes ; pharmacology