Cardioprotective effect of resveratrol, a natural antioxidant derived from grapes.
BACKGROUND
The major objective of the present study was to examine the cardioprotective effect of resveratrol, an antioxidant presents in red wines, in the rat after ischemia and ischemia-reperfusion (I-R).


METHODS
The left main coronary artery was occluded for 30 or 5 min followed by a 30-min reperfusion in anesthetized rats. Animals were preinfused with and without resveratrol before occlusion and the severity of ischemia- and I-R-induced arrhythmias and mortality were compared.


RESULTS
Resveratrol pretreatment had no effect on ischemia-induced arrhythmias nor on mortality. In contrast, a dramatic protective effects were observed against I-R-induced arrhythmias and mortality. Resveratrol pretreatment both reduced the incidence and duration of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF). During the same period, resveratrol pretreatment also increased nitric oxide (NO) and decreased lactate dehydrogenase levels in the carotid blood.


CONCLUSIONS
Resveratrol is a potent antiarrhythmic agent with cardioprotective properties in I-R rats. The cardioprotective effects of resveratrol in the I-R rats may be correlated with its antioxidant activity and upregulation of NO production.
Hung
L M
LM
Institute of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 1, Jen-Ai Road, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chen
J K
JK
Huang
S S
SS
Lee
R S
RS
Su
M J
MJ
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000077185:Resveratrol; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
D000975:Antioxidants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D013267:Stilbenes; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D000077185:Resveratrol