Resveratrol may have a therapeutic role to play in polycystic ovary syndrome. - GreenMedInfo Summary

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by ovarian dysfunction and associated with ovarian theca-interstitial cell hyperplasia, hyperinsulinemia, systemic inflammation, and oxidative stress. This in vitro study tested whether rat theca-interstitial cell growth with or without insulin can be altered by resveratrol, a natural polyphenol with anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative and anti-oxidant properties. Rat theca-interstitial cells were cultured with and without resveratrol and/or insulin, and the effects on DNA synthesis, number of viable cells and markers of apoptosis were evaluated. Resveratrol alone induced a potent concentration-dependent inhibition of cell growth by inhibiting DNA synthesis, decreasing the number of viable cells, and increasing the activity of executioner caspases 3 and 7; these effects of resveratrol counteracted the pro-proliferative and anti-apoptotic effects of insulin. Immunofluorescence analysis of cells incubated with resveratrol showed concentration-and time-dependent morphological changes consistent with apoptosis. The present findings indicate that resveratrol promotes apoptosis to reduce rat theca-interstitial cell growth in vitro as well as inhibiting insulin-induced rat theca-interstitial cell growth. This suggests a possibility that resveratrol and/or mechanisms mediating its effect may be relevant to the development of novel treatments for PCOS, which is characterized by both excessive ovarian mesenchyma growth and hyperinsulinemia.