title: Resveratrol confers endothelial protection via activation of the antioxidant transcription factor Nrf2.
abstract: Epidemiological studies suggest that Mediterranean diets rich in resveratrol are associated with reduced risk of coronary artery disease. Resveratrol was also shown to confer vasoprotection in animal models of type 2 diabetes and aging. However, the mechanisms by which resveratrol exerts its antioxidative vasculoprotective effects are not completely understood. Using a nuclear factor-E(2)-related factor-2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element-driven luciferase reporter gene assay, we found that in cultured coronary arterial endothelial cells, resveratrol, in a dose-dependent manner, significantly increases transcriptional activity of Nrf2. Accordingly, resveratrol significantly upregulates the expression of the Nrf2 target genes NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, and heme oxygenase-1. Resveratrol treatment also significantly attenuated high glucose (30 mM)-induced mitochondrial and cellular oxidative stress (assessed by flow cytometry using MitoSox and dihydroethidine staining). The aforementioned effects of resveratrol were significantly attenuated by the small interfering RNA downregulation of Nrf2 or the overexpression of Kelch-like erythroid cell-derived protein 1, which inactivates Nrf2. To test the effects of resveratrol in vivo, we used mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD), which exhibit increased vascular oxidative stress associated with an impaired endothelial function. In HFD-fed Nrf2(+/+) mice, resveratrol treatment attenuates oxidative stress (assessed by the Amplex red assay), improves acetylcholine-induced vasodilation, and inhibits apoptosis (assessed by measuring caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation) in branches of the femoral artery. In contrast, the aforementioned endothelial protective effects of resveratrol were diminished in HFD-fed Nrf2(-/-) mice. Taken together, our results indicate that resveratrol both in vitro and in vivo confers endothelial protective effects which are mediated by the activation of Nrf2.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Geriatric Medicine, Reynolds Oklahoma Center on Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 975 NE 10th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA. zoltan-ungvari@ouhsc.edu
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ungvari
authors.forename: Zsolt
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bagi
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feher
authors.forename: Fabio A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Recchia
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Sonntag
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Cabo
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Csiszar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019610:Cytoprotection; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D005981:Glutathione Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000072019:Kelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / Q000378:metabolism; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D034622:RNA Interference; D020218:Response Elements / Q000187:drug effects; D000077185:Resveratrol; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D014162:Transfection; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004041:Dietary Fats; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C431364:KEAP1 protein, human; D000072019:Kelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; C495635:NFE2L2 protein, human; C495636:Nfe2l2 protein, mouse; D013267:Stilbenes; C496541:HMOX1 protein, human; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone); C447479:NQO1 protein, human; D005981:Glutathione Synthase; D005947:Glucose; D000077185:Resveratrol