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

• Published in: International journal of molecular medicine Vol. 29; no. 6; pp. 974 - 982
• Main Authors: Fibach, Eitan, Prus, Eugenia, Bianchi, Nicoletta, Zuccato, Cristina, Breveglieri, Giulia, Salvatori, Francesca, Finotti, Alessia, Lipucci di Paola, Michele, Brognara, Eleonora, Lampronti, Ilaria, Borgatti, Monica, Gambari, Roberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece D.A. Spandidos 01-06-2012
• Subjects: Antioxidants - chemistry; Antioxidants - pharmacology; beta-Globins - genetics; beta-Thalassemia - pathology; Cell Differentiation - drug effects; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Erythroid Cells - drug effects; Erythroid Cells - metabolism; Erythroid Cells - pathology; Erythroid Precursor Cells - drug effects; Erythroid Precursor Cells - metabolism; Erythroid Precursor Cells - pathology; Fetal Hemoglobin - genetics; Fetal Hemoglobin - metabolism; gamma-Globins - genetics; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Humans; K562 Cells; Oxidation-Reduction - drug effects; Promoter Regions, Genetic - genetics; Protein Biosynthesis - drug effects; Proteomics; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Resveratrol; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Stilbenes - chemistry; Stilbenes - pharmacology; Tissue Donors; Transcription, Genetic - drug effects
• ISSN: 1107-3756; 1791-244X
• DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2012.928

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.