Cardioprotective and Antiarrhythmic Effects of Resveratrol-a Modern Perspective on an Old Treatment Editorial to 'Resveratrol Attenuates Ventricular Arrhythmias and Improves the Long-term Survival in Rats with Myocardial Infarction' by Chen et al.

摘要

The increasing worldwide burden of ischaemic heart disease and its consequences has intensified the search for naturally occurring compounds which can be applied to whole populations with minimal toxicity. Resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene), a naturally occurring polyphe-nolic phytoalexin, is one such agent. It was first isolated from the roots of white hellebore in 1940 and over two decades later found in the roots of Polygonum cuspidatum, a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine . There has been a surge in interest on the cardioprotective effects of resveratrol over the past 15 years, following the finding that the compound is a constituent of red wine and may possibly provide an explanation for the "French paradox", the observation of an inverse association between red wine consumption and the incidence of cardiovascular disease . Resveratrol has been demonstrated to have a multitude of beneficial actions on the cardiovascular system from both in vitro and in vivo studies. These include anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and pharmacological pre-conditioning effects as well as inhibition of platelet aggregation and favorable actions on lipid profile 4, 5.