Resveratrol: Antioxidant activity and induction of fetal hemoglobin in erythroid cells from normal donors and β-thalassemia patients.

Abstract

Thalassemia and sickle-cell anemia (SCA) present a major public health problem in countries where the number of carriers and affected individuals is high. As a result of the abnormalities in hemoglobin production, cells of thalassemia and SCA patients exhibit oxidative stress, which ultimately is responsible for the chronic anemia observed. Therefore, identification of compounds exhibiting both antioxidant and hemoglobin-inducing activities is highly needed. Our results demonstrate resveratrol to be such a compound. This was shown both in the human K562 cell line, as well as in erythroid precursors derived from normal donors and β-thalassemia patients. Resveratrol was shown to exhibit antioxidant activity and to stimulate the expression of the γ-globin genes and the accumulation of fetal hemoglobin (HbF). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report pointing to such a double effect of resveratrol. Since this natural product is already marketed as an antioxidant, future investigations should concentrate on demonstrating its potential to augment HbF production in experimental animal models (e.g., thalassemia and SCA mice) as well as in patients. We believe that the potential of clinical use of resveratrol as an antioxidant and HbF stimulator may offer a simple and inexpensive treatment to patients.

• Authors: Eitan Fibach, Eugenia Prus, Nicoletta Bianchi, Cristina Zuccato, Giulia Breveglieri, Francesca Salvatori, Alessia Finotti, Michele Lipucci di Paola, Eleonora Brognara, Ilaria Lampronti, Monica Borgatti, Roberto Gambari
• Journal: International journal of molecular medicine (Int J Mol Med) Vol. 29 Issue 6 Pg. 974-82 (Jun 2012) ISSN: 1791-244X [Electronic] Greece
• PMID: 22378234 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antioxidants
• RNA, Messenger
• Reactive Oxygen Species
• Stilbenes
• beta-Globins
• gamma-Globins
• Fetal Hemoglobin
• Resveratrol

Topics

• Antioxidants (chemistry, pharmacology)
• Cell Differentiation (drug effects)
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Erythroid Cells (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Erythroid Precursor Cells (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Fetal Hemoglobin (genetics, metabolism)
• Gene Expression Regulation (drug effects)
• Humans
• K562 Cells
• Oxidation-Reduction (drug effects)
• Promoter Regions, Genetic (genetics)
• Protein Biosynthesis (drug effects)
• Proteomics
• RNA, Messenger (genetics, metabolism)
• Reactive Oxygen Species (metabolism)
• Resveratrol
• Stilbenes (chemistry, pharmacology)
• Tissue Donors
• Transcription, Genetic (drug effects)
• beta-Globins (genetics)
• beta-Thalassemia (pathology)
• gamma-Globins (genetics)