Resveratrol prevents the development of high blood pressure. - GreenMedInfo Summary

Resveratrol (RV), a polyphenolic component of red wine, has been shown to attenuate high blood pressure (BP) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). We earlier showed a role of enhanced expression of Giα proteins in the pathogenesis of hypertension in SHR. In the present study, we investigated whether RV-induced decreased BP in SHR is attributed to its ability to inhibit the enhanced expression of Giα proteins and the upstream signaling molecules implicated in the overexpression of Giα proteins. Administration of RV (50mg/kg/day) into prehypertensive 2 week-old SHR for 6 weeks prevented the development of high BP and the enhanced expression of Giα proteins, enhanced levels of superoxide anion (O2-), NADPH oxidase activity, the enhanced activation (phosphorylation) of c-Src, growth factorreceptors, as well as ERK1/2 and AKT exhibited by vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) isolated from SHR. In conclusion, these results indicate that RV attenuates the development of high BP in SHR through the inhibition of enhanced levels of Giα proteins, oxidative stress and the upstream signalingmolecules that contribute to the overexpression of Giα proteins and suggest that RV may have the potential to be used as therapeutic agent in the treatment of cardiovascular complications including hypertension.