Resveratrol and diabetes: from animal to human studies

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a serious disease affecting about 5% of people worldwide. Diabetes is characterized by hyperglycemia and impairment in insulin secretion and/or action. Moreover, diabetes is associated with metabolic abnormalities and serious complications. Resveratrol is a natural, biologically active polyphenol present in different plant species and known to have numerous health-promoting effects in both animals and humans. Anti-diabetic action of resveratrol has been extensively studied in animal models and in diabetic humans. In animals with experimental diabetes, resveratrol has been demonstrated to induce beneficial effects that ameliorate diabetes. Resveratrol, among others, improves glucose homeostasis, decreases insulin resistance, protects pancreatic β-cells, improves insulin secretion and ameliorates metabolic disorders. Effects induced by resveratrol are strongly related to the capability of this compound to increase expression/activity of AMPK and SIRT1 in various tissues of diabetic subjects. Moreover, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol were shown to be also involved in its action in diabetic animals. Preliminary clinical trials show that resveratrol is also effective in type 2 diabetic patients. Resveratrol may, among others, improve glycemic control and decrease insulin resistance. These results show that resveratrol holds great potential to treat diabetes and would be useful to support conventional therapy. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Resveratrol: Challenges in translating pre-clincial findigns to improved patient outcomes.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolded protein response in pancreatic islet inflammation

“…An array of additional molecules with anti-oxidant properties improve several circulating markers of T2D such as fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, insulin, and lipid (LDL and triglycerides) levels (Azadmehr et al 2014, Szkudelski & Szkudelska 2015. Among them resveratrol was shown to protect against ER stress-driven cell dysfunction in the context of obesity-related disorders and diabetes (Andrade et al 2014.…”

Protective effects of resveratrol on osteoporosis via activation of the SIRT1‑NF‑κB signaling pathway in rats

“…Resveratrol is able to target cytomembranes, intracellular receptors, signaling molecules, enzymes, oxidative system, DNA repair system and transcription factors (12). Cellular signal transduction function is able to convert stimulation into a signal, and this process frequently involves a series of biochemical reactions (13). Resveratrol regulates a series of signal transduction pathways, such as the SIRT1 and NF-κB signaling pathways (14).…”

Resveratrol attenuates type 2 diabetes mellitus by mediating mitochondrial biogenesis and lipid metabolism via Sirtuin type 1

“…Resveratrol (RSV), a natural polyphenol found in grapes and red wine (10), may potentially attenuate hepatic steatosis and reduce the risk of patients developing T2DM (11). It has previously been demonstrated that RSV activates Sirtuin type 1 (SIRT1) to inhibit the development of T2DM (12). SIRT1 is a nuclear NAD + -dependent class III histone deacetylase that may regulate cell aging, life span and energy metabolism (13) by engaging in the reciprocal co-regulation of different binding partners (14).…”