Antioxidant Protects Neurons from Low-Oxygen Damage

By CP Staff

A dietary antioxidant may support the health of the brain after a stroke, according to a new study. The American Heart Association reports that stroke is the third most common cause of death in the United States, causing approximately 1 out of every 18 deaths.

In this recently published study, researchers investigated the mechanism by which trans-resveratrol, a potent antioxidant found in high concentrations in the skin of red grapes, ameliorates brain damage caused by strokes. In this study, mice were pre-treated with resveratrol supplementation prior to the induction of an ischemic stroke (loss of blood supply to the brain).

The study found that resveratrol increased levels of a specific enzyme in the nerve cells known as heme oxygenase 1. This anti-inflammatory enzyme is an inducible stress protein known to protect cells from damage. When the neurons were pre-treated with resveratrol, there was a reduction in free-radical and excitotoxicity damage. When the neurons were treated with an inhibitor of the heme oxygenase 1 enzyme, the protective activity of resveratrol was lost. Additionally, the mice were subjected to an ischemic-reperfusion stroke model, where their brains were deprived of oxygen (ischemia) and then the oxygen levels were restored (reperfusion). Resveratrol protected the mice from ischemic-reperfusion damage in a dose-dependent manner, meaning increasing dosages of resveratrol provided increasing levels of protection.

The study authors stated, “Together, the data suggest a potential intracellular pathway by which resveratrol can provide cell/organ resistance against neuropathological conditions.”

Reference:

Sakata Y, Zhuang H, Kwansa H, Koehler RC, Doré S. Resveratrol protects against experimental stroke: Putative neuroprotective role of heme oxygenase 1. Exp Neurol. 2010 Apr 8. Published Online Ahead of Print.