Numerous data are now available on the beneficial properties of the polyphenolic compound resveratrol including its anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects. However, few studies have been performed with resveratrol in humans, and the results of these studies appear fragmentary and sometimes contradictory due to variations in conditions of administration, protocols and methods of assessment. This review article presents the results of recent studies investigating the pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and toxicity of resveratrol in humans. Resveratrol is well absorbed, rapidly metabolized, mainly into sulfo and glucuronides conjugates which are eliminated in urine. Resveratrol seems to be well tolerated and no marked toxicity was reported. These data are important in the context of human efficacy studies, and they provide further support for the use of resveratrol as a pharmacological drug in human medicine.

Several recently published clinical trials have extended our knowledge on the use of resveratrol (RVT) to treat several human pathological and metabolic disorders. Herein, we present insights into the metabolism, biological effects, and toxicity of RVT in humans. Recent data show that RVT exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. It can also improve glucose and lipid metabolism, it acts on cardiovascular parameters, and can modify some pathways involved in carcinogenesis. However, these effects are mostly tiny and the results are sometimes controversial as they depend on the protocols (i.e. dose, form of administration, patients' characteristics, adjuvant therapy, etc.). Toxicological data confirm that RVT is well tolerated. Any adverse effects (mainly concerning the abdomen), at doses of ≥0.5 g/day for long periods, remain moderate and reversible. Nevertheless, the efficacy and safety of RVT need to be further investigated.

No abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective or deleterious effects of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) on liver cells during hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (IR) in the rat.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by defective Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) protein. Morbidity is mainly due to early airway infection. We hypothesized that S. aureus clearance during the first hours of infection was impaired in CF human Airway Surface Liquid (ASL) because of a lowered pH. The ASL pH of human bronchial epithelial cell lines and primary respiratory cells from healthy controls (WT) and patients with CF was measured with a pH microelectrode. The antimicrobial capacity of airway cells was studied after S. aureus apical infection by counting surviving bacteria. ASL was significantly more acidic in CF than in WT respiratory cells. This was consistent with a defect in bicarbonate secretion involving CFTR and SLC26A4 (pendrin) and a persistent proton secretion by ATP12A. ASL demonstrated a defect in S. aureus clearance which was improved by pH normalization. Pendrin inhibition in WT airways recapitulated the CF airway defect and increased S. aureus proliferation. ATP12A inhibition by ouabain decreased bacterial proliferation. Antimicrobial peptides LL-37 and hBD1 demonstrated a pH-dependent activity. Normalizing ASL pH might improve innate airway defense in newborns with CF during onset of S. aureus infection. Pendrin activation and ATP12A inhibition could represent novel therapeutic strategies to normalize pH in CF airways.

In cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, the major alteration in pulmonary function is due to peripheral airway obstruction. In the present study, we investigated the possibility that alterations in the extrathoracic airways, particularly in the trachea that expresses high levels of CFTR (CF transmembrane conductance regulator), may contribute to respiratory dysfunction. We performed morphological analyses of the trachea and airway functional studies in adult Cftr knockout (Cftr −/− ) and F508del-CFTR mice and their controls. Macroscopic and histological examination of the trachea showed the presence of one to seven disrupted or incomplete cartilage rings in Cftr −/− mice (23/25) while only a few Cftr +/+ mice (6/25) had one abnormal ring. Tracheal defects were mainly localized in the proximal trachea. In 14 Cftr −/− mice, frontal disruption of the first three to six rings below the cricoid cartilage were associated with upper tracheal constriction. Similar tracheal abnormalities were detected in adult F508del-CFTR and in newborn Cftr −/− and F508del-CFTR mice. Tracheal and ventilatory function analyses showed in Cftr −/− mice a decreased contractile response of the proximal trachea and a reduced breathing rate due to an increase in the inspiratory and expiratory times. In F508del-CFTR mice, the expiratory time was longer than in controls. Therefore, these structural and functional abnormalities detected in adult and newborn CF mouse models may represent congenital malformations related to CFTR dysfunction. These results raise important questions concerning the mechanisms governing tracheal development within the context of CFTR protein dysfunction and the implication of such abnormalities in the pathogenesis of airway disease in CF.

Liver ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury occurs in many clinical conditions, including liver surgery and transplantation. Oxygen free radicals generated during I/R reduce endogenous antioxidant systems and contribute to hepatic injury. trans-Resveratrol (trans-3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene) is reported to have antioxidant properties. We investigated the effect of trans-resveratrol on liver injury induced by I/R. After 1 hour of ischemia, administered 5 minutes before 3 hours of reperfusion, trans-resveratrol was hepatoprotective at a low dose (0.02 mg/kg). It significantly decreased aminotransferase levels by about 40% and improved sinusoidal dilatation. trans-Resveratrol preserved antioxidant defense by preventing total and reduced glutathione depletion caused by I/R. At 0.2 mg/kg, trans-resveratrol significantly increased glutathione reductase, Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities. However, at a high dose (20 mg/kg), trans-resveratrol became prooxidant with an aggravation of liver injury evaluated by aminotransferase release and histological analysis and associated with a depletion of total and reduced glutathione levels and a decrease of antioxidant enzyme activities. In conclusion, a prereperfusion treatment by trans-resveratrol only at low doses decreases liver injury induced by I/R by protecting against antioxidant defense failure. This administration protocol could reduce liver damage during surgery or transplantation.

No abstract