Bioaccumulation of resveratrol metabolites in myocardial tissue is dose-time dependent and related to cardiac hemodynamics in diabetic rats

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Trans-resveratrol (RSV) is a natural compound occurring in different foods and plants, which in vivo is rapidly conjugated with glucuronic acid and sulfate. Despite its demonstrated cardioprotective activity, the bioaccumulation of RSV or its metabolites in cardiac tissue is still unknown.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Diabetic rats were randomized to 1, 3 or 6 weeks of RSV treatment at two different doses (1 or 5 mg/kg/day). A dose and time-dependent accumulation was observed, with no detectable levels of RSV metabolites found in heart tissues after 1 week and significant concentrations of RSV-3-sulfate and RSV-3-glucuronide after 6 weeks of treatment (0.05 nmol/g of tissue and 0.01 nmol/g of tissue, respectively). Tissue accumulation of RSV metabolites was accompanied by an improvement of cardiac function in long-term diabetes, when myocardial morpho-functional damage is more evident, with an almost complete recovery of all hemodynamic parameters, at the highest RSV dose.

CONCLUSION

Even if a higher concentration of RSV in tissues cannot be ruled out after constant oral administration, an accumulation coherent with what is usually evaluated in cell based mechanistic studies is largely unattainable and the RSV unconjugated form would not be present in this paradigm. The current investigation provides data on myocardial tissue concentrations of RSV metabolites, after short/medium term RSV treatment. This knowledge constitutes a basic requirement for future studies aimed at reliably defining the molecular pathways underlying RSV-mediated cardioprotective effects and opens up new perspectives for research focused on testing phenolic compounds as adjuvants in degenerative heart diseases.

Defense mechanisms and personality disorders

The evaluation of defense mechanisms represents one of the most promising fields in the psychodynamic-oriented empirical research on personality disorders (PDs). This study examines the association between DSM-IV PDs and defense mechanisms. We evaluated a sample of 50 adult outpatients seeking personality assessment and psychotherapeutic treatment. PDs have been assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorder, version 2.0. Defense mechanisms have been evaluated by a group of trained clinical psychologists and psychiatrists (interrater reliability from .61 to .95) using Perry's Defense Mechanism Rating Scale. Our results support the hypothesis that some defense mechanisms underlie PDs and that defenses call for further attention as we assess PDs.

Prevalence and prognostic significance of endocrine cells in colorectal adenocarcinomas

Sporadic differentiation of endocrine cells inside adenocarcinomas of the gut (combined tumors) has been observed mainly in the stomach and less frequently in the colon. Since one or more lines of endocrine cells could be present, a wide-spectrum marker of neuroendocrine cells seems to be useful in defining the prevalence of an endocrine component in colorectal carcinomas. One hundred and fifty-eight cases of unselected colorectal adenocarcinomas were immunohistochemically evaluated on formalin fixed and paraffin embedded material, employing streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase-complex (SABC) with anti chromogranin antibodies. All samples were obtained in peripheral areas of neoplastic proliferation without necrosis or haemorrhage. Semiserial sections from each block were cut and stained with H.E., Grimelius, Masson Fontana and SABC anti chromogranin. Chromogranin positive cells were found in 22 of 158 cases (14%). In 18 cases (11.39%), scattered cells (one single cell or a few cells in each section) were located between neoplastic epithelial cells; in 4 cases (2.53%), clusters of chromogranin positive cells were found. Twelve tumors were located in the sigma-rectum, eight in the right colon and two in the left colon. According to tumor grading, five were G1 and seventeen were G2. According to tumor staging following Dukes' classification, eleven were stage B, and eleven stage C. In conclusion, no statistically significant correlations resulted between the adenocarcinoma with endocrine component and tumor location (p = 0.1 n.s.), tumor grading (p = 0.2 n.s.), and tumor staging (p = 0.1 n.s.).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)