Cardiovascular effects and molecular targets of resveratrol

Resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) is a polyphenol phytoalexin present in a variety of plant species and has been implicated to explain the health benefits of red wine. A wide range of health beneficial effects have been demonstrated for resveratrol in animal studies. In this review, we summarize the cardiovascular effects of resveratrol with emphasis on the molecular targets of the compound. In this regard, resveratrol stimulates endothelial production of nitric oxide, reduces oxidative stress, inhibits vascular inflammation and prevents platelet aggregation. In animal models of cardiovascular disease, resveratrol protects the heart from ischemia-reperfusion injury, reduces blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy in hypertensive animals, and slows the progression of atherosclerosis. A number of direct and indirect target molecules mediating the aforementioned cardiovascular effects of resveratrol have been identified. These include, among others, the estrogen receptor α, the adenosine receptors, the cyclooxygenase 1, the histone/protein deacetylase sirtuin 1, the AMP-activated protein kinase, the Akt kinase, the nuclear factor-E2-related factor-2, and NF-κB. Molecular mechanisms involved in the signal cascades are discussed.