~ 011311 Resveratrol Stimulates Anti-obesity Hormone

Life Extension

An article published in the January 7, 2011 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry reveals a mechanism for resveratrol, a polyphenol found in grapes and other plant foods, in helping to prevent obesity and insulin resistance.

Professor of pharmacology Feng Liu, PhD of the University of Texas Health Science Center Barshop Institute of Longevity and Aging Studies in San Antonio and his colleagues studied the effects of resveratrol in cultured fat cells. They found that the compound stimulated the expression of adiponectin, a hormone derived from cells that manufacture and store fat, which has been shown to have benefits in complications related to obesity.

Resveratrol as well as adiponectin have been found in previous research to act against obesity, insulin resistance and aging. The current findings were confirmed in mice given a resveratrol-supplemented diet.

"Because enhancing adiponectin levels increases resistance to inflammation, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disorders, the finding that resveratrol promotes adiponectin expression levels thus provides a novel mechanism by which resveratrol exerts its health beneficial functions," the authors conclude.

In other research conducted at the Barshop Institute, described in a letter published in the July 16, 2009 issue of the journal Nature, David E. Harrison and his associates uncovered a life-extending benefit for the drug rapamycin. The following year, Dr Liu and his associates reported that resveratrol inhibits the activity of the mammalian target of this drug (mTOR).

"Results from these studies should be of interest to those who are obese, diabetic and growing older," stated Dr Liu. "The findings should also provide important information on the development of novel therapeutic drugs for the treatment of these diseases."