Resveratrol May Protect Against Multiple Eye Diseases

[Guest guest]

Resveratrol May Protect Against Multiple Eye Diseases

Tuesday, June 29, 2010 - Byron s, CCN

_http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/resveratrol_may_protect_ag

ainst_multiple_eye_diseases/_

(http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/resveratrol_may_protect_agains\

t_multiple_eye_diseases/)

Vision researchers at the _Washington University School of Medicine_

(http://www.wellnessresources.com/studies/entry/resveratrol_and_eye_health) in

St. Louis are the first to identify a new gene pathway by which resveratrol

protects the circulation within your eyes. This new science is directly

relevant to helping with several eye problems associated with aging:

macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

Angiogenesis is the process by which new blood vessels form from existing

blood vessels. This is a natural process involved with growth and wound

healing. The process can also be hijacked, as in the case of tumors that

seek to set up a blood supply for themselves. And it can be made chaotic, as

a failed compensating mechanism for wear and tear. For example, in macular

degeneration abnormal blood vessels form beneath the retina – literally

getting in the way of vision. In diabetic retinopathy these abnormal blood

vessels form directly in the retina. In either case there is a loss of

vision quality with the potential for blindness. The formation of these

troublesome new blood vessels is driven by the process of angiogenesis gone

awry,

an effort to maintain blood supply to an area of the eye that is in dis

tress.

In cell and animal experiments the researchers showed that resveratrol

prevents this abnormal formation of blood vessels and can even get rid of

abnormal blood vessels that have already formed. A specific gene pathway was

identified for the first time which showed resveratrol’s mechanism of

action. Interestingly, this mechanism was different from the well-documented

SIRT1 activity of resveratrol that is associated with many of its anti-aging

benefits.

In addition to eye problems this same gene signaling problem is present in

cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer. “We have identified a

novel pathway that could become a new target for therapies,†says Rajendra S.

Apte, MD, PhD, the study’s senior investigator. “And we believe the

pathway may be involved both in age-related eye disease and in other diseases

where angiogenesis plays a destructive role…This could potentially be a

preventive therapy in high-risk patients. And because it worked on existing,

abnormal blood vessels in the animals, it may be a therapy that can be

started after angiogenesis already is causing damage.â€

The dose of resveratrol used in the study was higher than would be

available from red wine, requiring dietary supplementation of the nutrient.

Related Entries:

_Red Wine/Resveratrol for Cardiovascular Repair_

(http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/red_wine_resveratrol_for_cardi\

ovascular_repair/)

_Resveratrol Protects Brain from Stroke Damage_

(http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/resveratrol_protects_brain_fro\

m_stroke_damage/)

_Can Resveratrol Prevent Prostate Cancer?_

(http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/can_resveratrol_prevent_prosta\

te_cancer/)

_Resveratrol Continues to Impress_

(http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/resveratrol_continues_to_impre\

ss/)

_Is Resveratrol the Fountain of Youth?_

(http://www.wellnessresources.com/tips/articles/is_resveratrol_the_fountain_of_y\

outh/)