stilbenes and juglone

Transient elevations in blood glucose level may lead to changes in vascular function. Herein, we investigated the effects of high-glucose or high-fructose challenge, as well as potential influence of juglone or resveratrol on vascular reactivity, Akt/eNOS, and insulin signaling effectors in rat aorta. Aortic segments of rats were incubated with high glucose (30 mmol/L) or high fructose (2 mmol/L) in the absence and presence of juglone (5 μmol/L) or resveratrol (10 μmol/L). Acute high-glucose incubation markedly decreased acetylcholine-induced relaxation, which is further inhibited by juglone, but ameliorated by resveratrol. Incubation with high glucose caused significant reduction in pAkt/total Akt and peNOS/total eNOS ratios, as well as in the expression of some genes involved in insulin signaling. Juglone produced a further impairment, whereas resveratrol resulted in an improvement on the expression profiles of these proteins and genes. Acute exposure of aortic segments to high glucose causes a reduction in acetylcholine-induced relaxation in association with suppression of Akt/eNOS pathway, as well as several genes in insulin signaling pathway. Juglone and resveratrol have opposite actions on vascular relaxation and the above signaling targets. These findings could be relevant for the treatment of hyperglycemia-induced vascular complications.

Topics: Acetylcholine; Animals; Aorta; Endothelium, Vascular; Fructose; Gene Expression Regulation; Glucose; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Naphthoquinones; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; Phosphorylation; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Rats, Wistar; Resveratrol; Signal Transduction; Stilbenes; Vasodilation

Topics: Cell Line; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Enzyme Activation; Fibroblasts; Humans; Keratinocytes; Naphthoquinones; NIMA-Interacting Peptidylprolyl Isomerase; Resveratrol; Signal Transduction; Sirtuin 1; Skin; Stilbenes; Ultraviolet Rays; Up-Regulation

Resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), a polyphenol from red wine, has been reported to be beneficial in cases of ageing-related cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases owing to its property to reduce oxidative stress. Previous studies on the longevity promoting effect of resveratrol have been partly inconclusive, therefore we set out to investigate whether resveratrol at least promoted longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans under acute oxidative stress conditions.. C. elegans was cultured under standard conditions with or without resveratrol. After exposure to juglone-induced acute oxidative stress, the survival rate and hsp-16.2::GFP expression were measured. The influence of resveratrol on life span was recorded also under oxidative stress induced by high glucose concentrations in the growth medium.. No extension of the normal life span of C. elegans was observed either in liquid or solid growth media containing different concentrations of resveratrol. However, resveratrol alleviated juglone-induced lethal oxidative stress, and significantly prolonged the life span of C. elegans under conditions of acute oxidative damage and oxidative stress caused by high concentrations of glucose.. Resveratrol, as an antioxidant, ameliorated oxidative stress in vivo but did not extend the life span of C. elegans under normal conditions. However, resveratrol did extend life span under conditions of oxidative stress.

Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Caenorhabditis elegans; Glucose; Longevity; Naphthoquinones; Oxidative Stress; Plant Extracts; Resveratrol; Stilbenes; Vitis