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Further advances in understanding the mechanism of action of resveratrol and its application require new analogs to identify the structural determinants for the cell proliferation inhibition potency. Therefore, we synthesized new trans-resveratrol derivatives by using the Wittig and Heck methods, thus modifying the hydroxylation and methoxylation patterns of the parent molecule. Moreover, we also synthesized new ferrocenylstilbene analogs by using an original protective group in the Wittig procedure. By performing cell proliferation assays we observed that the resveratrol derivatives show inhibition on the human colorectal tumor SW480 cell line. On the other hand, cell viability/cytotoxicity assays showed a weaker effects on the human hepatoblastoma HepG2 cell line. Importantly, the lack of effect on non-tumor cells (IEC18 intestinal epithelium cells) demonstrates the selectivity of these molecules for cancer cells. Here, we show that the numbers and positions of hydroxy and methoxy groups are crucial for the inhibition efficacy. In addition, the presence of at least one phenolic group is essential for the antitumoral activity. Moreover, in the series of ferrocenylstilbene analogs, the presence of a hidden phenolic function allows for a better solubilization in the cellular environment and significantly increases the antitumoral activity.

Background: Inborn enzyme defects of mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation (FAO) form a large group of genetic disorders associated to variable clinical presentations ranging from life-threatening pediatric manifestations up to milder late onset phenotypes, including myopathy. Very few candidate drugs have been identified in this group of disorders. Resveratrol (RSV) is a natural polyphenol with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, recently shown to have beneficial metabolic properties in mice models. Our study explores its possible effects on FAO and mitochondrial energy metabolism in human cells, which are still very little documented., Methods: Using cells from controls and from patients with Carnitine Palmitoyl Transferase 2 (CPT2) or Very Long Chain AcylCoA Dehydrogenase (VLCAD) deficiency we characterized the metabolic effects of RSV, RSV metabolites, and other stilbenes. We also focused on analysis of RSV uptake, and on the effects of low RSV concentrations, considering the limited bioavailability of RSV in vivo., Results: Time course of RSV accumulation in fibroblasts over 48 h of treatment were consistent with the resulting stimulation or correction of FAO capacities. At 48 h, half maximal and maximal FAO stimulations were respectively achieved for 37,5 microM (EC50) and 75 microM RSV, but we found that serum content of culture medium negatively modulated RSV uptake and FAO induction. Indeed, decreasing serum from 12% to 3% led to shift EC50 from 37,5 to 13 microM, and a 2.6-3.6-fold FAO stimulation was reached with 20 microM RSV at 3% serum, that was absent at 12% serum. Two other stilbenes often found associated with RSV, i.e. cis- RSV and piceid, also triggered significant FAO up-regulation. Resveratrol glucuro- or sulfo- conjugates had modest or no effects. In contrast, dihydro-RSV, one of the most abundant circulating RSV metabolites in human significantly stimulated FAO (1.3-2.3-fold)., Conclusions: This study provides the first compared data on mitochondrial effects of resveratrol, its metabolites, and other natural compounds of the stilbene family in human cells. The results clearly indicate that several of these compounds can improve mitochondrial FAO capacities in human FAO-deficient cells.

Various epidemiological studies have shown that a regular and moderate consumption of red wine is correlated with a decreased relative risk of developing coronary heart disease and cancer. These health benefits are commonly attributed to high contents of polyphenols, particularly resveratrol, representing important sources of antioxidants. However, resveratrol does not seem to be the only bioactive compound present in the wine which contains numerous other polyphenols. The present study investigates the efficiency of red wine extracts (RWEs), containing different polyphenols, on colon cancer cell proliferation in vitro and on colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in vivo. Proliferation, cell cycle analysis and incidence of ACF were monitored to examine the effects of RWEs. RWEs derived from a long vinification process exhibit superior anti-proliferative activity in colon cancer cells and prevent the appearance of ACF in mice. Interestingly, quercetin and resveratrol, representing two major bio-active polyphenols, exhibit synergistic anti-proliferative effects. These data suggest that the efficacy of RWEs on colon carcinogenesis may depend on the polyphenolic content, synergistic interaction of bio-active polyphenols and modulation of cellular uptake of polyphenols.

Ceramide is a member of the sphingolipid family of bioactive molecules demonstrated to have profound, diverse biological activities. Ceramide is a potential chemotherapeutic agent via the induction of apoptosis. Exposure to ceramide activates extracellular-signal-regulated kinases (ERK)1/2- and p38 kinase-dependent apoptosis in human ovarian cancer OVCAR-3 cells, concomitant with an increase in the expression of COX-2 and p53 phosphorylation. Blockade of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity by siRNA or NS398 correspondingly inhibited ceramide-induced p53 Ser-15 phosphorylation and apoptosis; thus COX-2 appears at the apex of the p38 kinase-mediated signaling cascade induced by ceramide. Induction of apoptosis by ceramide or resveratrol was inhibited by the endocytosis inhibitor, cytochalasin D (CytD); however, cells exposed to resveratrol showed greater sensitivity than ceramide-treated cells. Ceramide-treated cells underwent a dose-dependent reduction in trans-membrane potential. Although both ceramide and resveratrol induced the expressions of caspase-3 and -7, the effect of inducible COX-2 was different in caspase-7 expression induced by ceramide compared to resveratrol. In summary, resveratrol and ceramide converge on an endocytosis-requiring, ERK1/2-dependent signal transduction pathway and induction of COX-expression as an essential molecular antecedent for subsequent p53-dependent apoptosis. In addition, expressions of caspase-3 and -7 are observed. However, a p38 kinase-dependent signal transduction pathway and change in mitochondrial potential are also involved in ceramide-induced apoptosis., (Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The preventive effects of the phytoalexin trans-resveratrol toward cancer have been largely described at the cellular and molecular levels in both in vivo and in vitro models; however, its primary targets are still poorly identified. In this review, we show the crucial role of cell membrane microdomains, that is, lipid rafts, not solely in the initiation of the early biochemical events triggered by resveratrol leading to cancer cell death, but also in resveratrol absorption and distribution. Resveratrol accumulates in lipid rafts and is then taken up by cells through raft-dependent endocytosis. These events allow early activation of kinase pathways and redistribution of cell death receptors within lipid microdomains, events ultimately leading to apoptotic cell death., (© 2013 New York Academy of Sciences.)

Scope: Resveratrol (RSV) has been proposed to prevent tumor growth; nevertheless, these preventive effects are controversial since RSV pharmacokinetics studies show a low bioavailability. Recent clinical trials show that patients with colorectal cancer and receiving oral RSV have high levels of RSV conjugates in the colorectum, mainly RSV-3-O-sulfate (R3S), RSV-3-O-glucuronide, and RSV-4'-O-glucuronide. However, their potential biological activity has not yet been established. This study thus investigated in human colorectal cancer cell lines whether RSV main metabolites retain anticarcinogenic properties as their parental molecule., Methods and Results: Proliferation, apoptosis assays and cell cycle analysis were performed to study the effect of RSV, R3S, RSV-3-O-glucuronide, or RSV-4'-O-glucuronide alone or of a mixture of the three metabolites. R3S inhibits colon cancer cells proliferation and an accumulation of cells in S phase. Interestingly, the mixture induced a synergistic effect. This process was associated with an induction of DNA damages and apoptotic process, which allowed sensitization of colon cancer cells to the anticancer drugs., Conclusion: Altogether, our data provide significant new insight into the molecular mechanism of RSV and support the notion that despite low bioavailability in vivo, RSV biological effects could be mediated by its metabolites., (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

There is some evidence that oxidized derivatives of cholesterol, 7-ketocholesterol (7KC) and 7β-hydroxycholesterol (7βOHC), are increased in the plasma of patients with neurodegenerative diseases associated with demyelinization of the central nervous system (CNS). It was therefore of interest to investigate the effects of these oxysterols on oligodendrocytes, the myelin-forming cells in the CNS. To this end, 158N murine oligodendrocytes were treated with 7KC or 7βOHC inducing an apoptotic mode of cell death characterized by condensation/fragmentation of the nuclei, dephosphorylation of Akt and GSK3, mitochondrial depolarization involving Mcl-1, and caspase-3 activation. In contrast, under treatment with 27-hydroxycholesterol (27OHC), no cell death was observed. When the cells were stained with Fura-2, no significant Ca(2+) rise was found with the different oxysterols, whereas strong signals were detected with ionomycin used as positive control. At concentrations which induced apoptosis, 7KC but not 7βOHC accumulated in lipid rafts. Although not cytotoxic, 27OHC was mainly detected in lipid rafts. It is noteworthy that α-tocopherol (but not ellagic acid and resveratrol) was able to counteract 7KC- and 7βOHC-induced apoptosis and to decrease the accumulation of 7KC and 27OHC in lipid rafts. Thus, in 158N cells, the ability of oxysterols to trigger a mode of cell death by apoptosis involving GSK-3 and caspase-3 activation is independent of the increase in the Ca(2+) level and of their accumulation in lipid raft microdomains., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cancers are the largest cause of mortality and morbidity in industrialized countries. Several new concepts have emerged in relation to mechanisms that contribute to the regulation of carcinogenesis processes and associated inflammatory effects such as the modulation of innate immune cells and adaptive immune cells that could infiltrate the tumor. In the tumor microenvironment, there is a delicate balance between antitumor immunity and tumor-originated proinflammatory activity, which weaken antitumor immunity. Consequently; modulation of immune cells and inflammatory processes represent attractive targets for therapeutic intervention in malignant diseases with the goal to restore the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapies and to overcome resistance to current cytotoxic therapies. Numerous studies have reported interesting properties of dietary polyphenols in anticancer strategies notably by their pleiotropic properties on cancer cells, immune cells and inflammation. This review is dedicated to the current knowledge of the mechanisms of polyphenols (resveratrol, curcumin, genistein and epigallocatechin) against cancers through a modulation of the immune system and the pro-inflammatory mediator production. We describe the effects of polyphenols on the adaptative and innate immune cells that could infiltrate the tumor. Reduction of chronic inflammation or its downstream consequences may represent a key mechanism in the fight of cancer development and polyphenols could reduce various pro-inflammatory substance productions through targeting signal transduction or through antioxidant effects. Lastly, we analyze key molecular links between inflammation and tumor progression through nuclear factors such as NFκB or microRNAs.

While the cardioprotective effect of moderate and regular wine consumption in primary prevention has been well documented, the goal of the present investigation was to explore the effect of wine intake on blood parameters (lipid, anti-oxidant capacity, and erythrocyte membrane potential and fluidity) in post myocardial infarct patients to evaluate perspectives in secondary prevention. A clinical intervention trial has been undertaken on a group of selected post myocardial infarct patients who gave written informed consent for participation in this study prior to enrolment. This two-week study has been conducted on hospitalized patients during a cardiac readaptation period. During this period, patients were submitted to a "Western prudent" diet (inspired by the Mediterranean diet) and two groups have been compared on a drawn basis: patients receiving red wine (250 mL daily) to patients receiving water. Physical, clinical, and blood parameters were evaluated on Days 1 and 14. The data show a positive effect of low wine consumption on blood parameters (decrease in total cholesterol and LDL; increase in erythrocyte membrane fluidity and antioxidant status). The results show that a moderate consumption of red wine even for a short period associated with a "Western prudent" diet improves various blood parameters in lipid and anti-oxidative status in patients with previous coronary ischemic accidents., (© 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

In important and severe neurodegenerative pathologies, 7-ketocholesterol, mainly resulting from cholesterol autoxidation, may contribute to dys- or demyelination processes. On various cell types, 7-ketocholesterol has often been shown to induce a complex mode of cell death by apoptosis associated with phospholipidosis. On 158N murine oligodendrocytes treated with 7-ketocholesterol (20 μg/mL corresponding to 50 μM, 24-48 h), the induction of a mode of cell death by apoptosis characterised by the occurrence of cells with condensed and/or fragmented nuclei, caspase activation (including caspase-3) and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation was observed. It was associated with a loss of transmembrane mitochondrial potential (ΔΨm) measured with JC-1, with a dephosphorylation of Akt and GSK3 (especially GSK3β), and with degradation of Mcl-1. With α-tocopherol (400 μM), which was capable of counteracting 7-ketocholesterol-induced apoptosis, Akt and GSK3β dephosphorylation were inhibited as well as Mcl-1 degradation. These data underline that the potential protective effects of α-tocopherol against 7-ketocholesterol-induced apoptosis do not depend on the cell line considered, and that the cascade of events (Akt/GSK3β/Mcl-1) constitutes a link between 7-ketocholesterol-induced cytoplasmic membrane dysfunctions and mitochondrial depolarisation leading to apoptosis., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In the fields of nutrition prevention and therapy treatment, numerous studies have reported interesting properties of trans-resveratrol (RSV), a natural polyphenol against pathologies such as vascular diseases, cancers, viral infections and neurodegenerative processes. These beneficial effects are supported by more studies showing the pleiotropic actions of RSV. Nevertheless, a crucial question concerning these effects is how the polyphenol, when applied to an organism, gains access to its targets. In this review, we focus on the biochemical and biological parameters involved in RSV transport, particularly the role of the phospholipid bilayer in RSV uptake (passive diffusion, carrier-mediated transport) and of exogenous molecules modulating RSV transport and effects. The dynamic processes of the plasma membrane reveal the importance of the role of lipid composition in the fluidity, the lipid rafts in RSV endocytosis and the ATP-binding cassette transporters in RSV efflux. Specific membrane receptors such as integrin αvβ3 contribute to RSV uptake and to activate signalling pathways involved in apoptosis. We discuss the role of intracellular receptors (i.e. aryl-hydrocarbon and estrogen receptors). In addition, circulating molecules (i.e. albumin, haemoglobin, fatty acids, lipoproteins) play a role as RSV carriers. Finally, we developed a hypothesis concerning the relation between RSV uptake and its biological activities., (Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

trans-Resveratrol has been proposed to prevent tumor growth and to sensitize cancer cells to anticancer agents. Polyphenol entry into the cells has remained poorly understood. Here, we show that [(3)H]-resveratrol enters colon cancer cells (SW480, SW620, HT29) and leukemia U937 cells through a monensin (5-20 μmol/L) -sensitive process that suggests clathrin-independent endocytosis. Uptake of the molecule can be prevented by methyl-β-cyclodextrin (2-12 mg/mL), nystatin (12 ng/mL), and filipin (1 μg/mL), which all disrupt plasma membrane lipid rafts. Accordingly, radiolabeled resveratrol accumulates in sphingomyelin- and cholesterol-enriched cell fractions. Interestingly, extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinases (JNK), and Akt also accumulate in lipid rafts on resveratrol exposure (IC(50) at 48 h ≈ 30 μmol/L in SW480 and U937 cells). In these rafts also, resveratrol promotes the recruitment, by the integrin α(V)β(3) (revealed by coimmunoprecipitation with an anti-integrin α(V)β(3) antibody), of signaling molecules that include the FAK (focal adhesion kinase), Fyn, Grb2, Ras, and SOS proteins. Resveratrol-induced activation of downstream signaling pathways and caspase-dependent apoptosis is prevented by endocytosis inhibitors, lipid raft-disrupting molecules, and the integrin antagonist peptide arginine-glycine-aspartate (500 nmol/L). Altogether, these data show the role played by lipid rafts in resveratrol endocytosis and activation of downstream pathways leading to cell death.

Resveratrol is a natural dietary polyphenol found in grape skin, red wine, and various other food products. Resveratrol has proved to be an effective chemopreventive agent for different malignant tumors. It has also been shown to prevent vascular alterations such as atherosclerosis and inflammatory-associated events. In view of these observations, we investigated the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities of resveratrol on a tumoral cardiac cell line (HL-1 NB) derived from mouse tumoral atrial cardiac myocytes. These effects were compared with those found on normal neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes. HL-1 NB cells and neonatal cardiomyocytes were treated with resveratrol (5, 30, and/or 100 μM) for different times of culture (24, 48, and/or 72 h). Resveratrol effects were determined by various microscopical and flow cytometric methods. After resveratrol treatment, a strong inhibition of tumoral cardiac HL1-NB cell growth associated with a loss of cell adhesion was observed. This cell proliferation arrest was associated with an apoptotic process revealed by an increased percentage of cells with fragmented and/or condensed nuclei (characteristic of apoptotic cells) identified after staining with Hoechst 33342 and by the presence of cells in subG1. At the opposite, on normal cardiomyocytes, no cytotoxic effects of resveratrol were observed, and a protective effect of resveratrol against norepinephrine-induced apoptosis was found on normal cardiomyocytes. Altogether, the present data demonstrate that resveratrol (1) induces apoptosis of tumoral cardiac HL1-NB cells, (2) does not induce cell death on normal cardiomyocytes, and (3) prevents norepinephrine-induced apoptosis on normal cardiomyocytes.

The biological properties and possible pharmacological applications of benzo[kl]xanthene lignans, rare among natural products and synthetic compounds, are almost unexplored. In the present contribution, the possible interaction of six synthetic benzo[kl]xanthene lignans and the natural metabolite rufescidride with DNA has been investigated through a combined STD-NMR and molecular docking approach, paralleled by in vitro biological assays on their antiproliferative activity towards two different cancer cell lines: SW 480 and HepG2. Our data suggest that the benzo[kl]xanthene lignans are suitable lead compounds for the design of DNA selective ligands with potential antitumour properties.

Background: Resveratrol is a natural compound suggested to have beneficial health effects. However, people are consuming resveratrol for this reason without having the adequate scientific evidence for its effects in humans. Therefore, scientific valid recommendations concerning the human intake of resveratrol based on available published scientific data are necessary. Such recommendations were formulated after the Resveratrol 2010 conference, held in September 2010 in Helsingør, Denmark., Methodology: Literature search in databases as PUBMED and ISI Web of Science in combination with manual search was used to answer the following five questions: (1)Can resveratrol be recommended in the prevention or treatment of human diseases?; (2)Are there observed "side effects" caused by the intake of resveratrol in humans?; (3)What is the relevant dose of resveratrol?; (4)What valid data are available regarding an effect in various species of experimental animals?; (5)Which relevant (overall) mechanisms of action of resveratrol have been documented?, Conclusions/significance: The overall conclusion is that the published evidence is not sufficiently strong to justify a recommendation for the administration of resveratrol to humans, beyond the dose which can be obtained from dietary sources. On the other hand, animal data are promising in prevention of various cancer types, coronary heart diseases and diabetes which strongly indicate the need for human clinical trials. Finally, we suggest directions for future research in resveratrol regarding its mechanism of action and its safety and toxicology in human subjects.

Numerous studies have reported interesting properties of trans-resveratrol, a phytoalexin, as a preventive agent of several important pathologies: vascular diseases, cancers, viral infections, and neurodegenerative processes. These beneficial effects of resveratrol have been supported by observations at the cellular and molecular levels in both cellular and in vivo models, but the cellular fate of resveratrol remains unclear. We suggest here that resveratrol uptake, metabolism, and stability of the parent molecule could influence the biological effects of resveratrol. It appears that resveratrol stability involves redox reactions and biotransformation that influence its antioxidant properties. Resveratrol's pharmacokinetics and metabolism represent other important issues, notably, the putative effects of its metabolites on pathology models. For example, some metabolites, mainly sulfate-conjugated resveratrol, show biological effects in cellular models. The modifications of resveratrol stability, chemical structure, and metabolism could change its cellular and molecular targets and could be crucial for improving or decreasing its chemopreventive properties., (© 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.)

Resveratrol (trans-3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene) is a natural antioxidant with cardiovascular and cancer preventive properties that is currently at the stage of pre-clinical studies for human cancer prevention. Beside its known effects on protein coding genes, one possible mechanism for resveratrol protective activities is by modulating the levels of non-coding RNAs. Here, we analyzed the effects of resveratrol on microRNA populations in human SW480 colon cancer cells. We establish that resveratrol treatment decreases the levels of several oncogenic microRNAs targeting genes encoding Dicer1, a cytoplasmic RNase III producing mature microRNAs from their immediate precursors, tumor-suppressor factors such as PDCD4 or PTEN, as well as key effectors of the TGFβ signaling pathway, while increasing the levels of miR-663, a tumor-suppressor microRNA targeting TGFβ1 transcripts. We also show that, while upregulating several components of the TGFβ signaling pathway such as TGFβ receptors type I (TGFβR1) and type II (TGFβR2), resveratrol decreases the transcriptional activity of SMADs, the main effectors of the canonical TGFβ pathway. Our results establish that protective properties of resveratrol may arise at least in part from its capability to modify the composition of microRNA populations in cells, and suggest that the manipulation of the levels of key microRNAs, such as miR-663, may help to potentiate the anti-cancer and anti-metastatic effects of resveratrol., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

An inflammatory component is present in the microenvironment of most neoplastic tissues, including those not causally related to an obvious inflammatory process. Several microRNAs, and especially miR-155, play an essential role in both the innate and adaptative immune response. Resveratrol (trans-3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene) is a natural antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties that is currently at the stage of preclinical studies for human cancer prevention. Here, we establish that, in human THP-1 monocytic cells as well as in human blood monocytes, resveratrol upregulates miR-663, a microRNA potentially targeting multiple genes implicated in the immune response. In THP-1 cells, miR-663 decreases endogenous activator protein-1 (AP-1) activity and impairs its upregulation by lipopolysaccharides (LPS), at least in part by directly targeting JunB and JunD transcripts. We further establish that the downregulation of AP-1 activity by resveratrol is miR-663 dependent and that the effects of resveratrol on both AP-1 activity and JunB levels are dose dependent. Finally, we show that resveratrol impairs the upregulation of miR-155 by LPS in a miR-663-dependent manner. Given the role of miR-155 in the innate immune response and the fact that it is upregulated in many cancers, our results suggest that manipulating miR-663 levels may help to optimize the use of resveratrol as both an anti-inflammatory and anticancer agent against malignancies associated with high levels of miR-155.

Resveratrol is the subject of intense research because of the abundance of this compound in the human diet and as one of the most valuable natural chemopreventive agents. Further advances require new resveratrol analogs be used to identify the structural determinants of resveratrol for the inhibition potency of cell proliferation by comparing experimental and docking studies. Therefore, we synthesized new trans/(E)- and cis/(Z)-resveratrol - analogs not reported to date - by modifying the hydroxylation pattern of resveratrol and a double bond geometry. We included them in a larger panel of 14 molecules, including (Z)-3,5,4'-trimethoxystilbene, the most powerful molecule that is used as reference. Using a docking model complementary to experimental studies on the proliferation inhibition of the human colorectal tumor SW480 cell line, we show that methylation is the determinant substitution in inhibition efficacy, but only in molecules bearing a Z configuration. Most of the synthetic methylated derivatives (E or Z) stop mitosis at the M phase and lead to polyploid cells, while (E)-resveratrol inhibits cells at the S phase. Docking studies show that almost all of the docked structures of (Z)-polymethoxy isomers, but not most of the (E)-polymethoxy isomers substantially overlap the docked structure of combretastatin A-4, taken as reference ligand at the colchicine-tubulin binding site., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To assess evolution in the care and health of very preterm babies between 1998 and 2003 after implementation of a regionalisation policy in France., Design: Comparison of two population-based cohorts., Setting: The Parisian region., Patients: All live births at 24-31 weeks of gestation in 1997 (EPIPAGE study, n=488) and in 2003 (MOSAIC study, n=580). Interventions Implementation of regionalised perinatal networks. Main outcome measures In-hospital mortality and morbidity, including intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) grade III and IV, cystic periventricular leucomalacia (PVL) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)., Results: Over this period, babies born in level III units rose from 67% to 77% and use of antenatal corticosteroids, indicated deliveries and surfactant increased. In-hospital mortality and IVH grades III/IV declined, ORs of 0.66 (95% CI 0.46 to 0.95) and 0.27 (95% CI 0.15 to 0.47), respectively, while PVL and BPD stayed constant. The rate of very preterm babies discharged alive per 1000 total births increased by 18%, but declined for babies with severe brain lesions., Conclusions: The authors found improvements in mortality and morbidity for very preterm babies and changes in their care over a 6-year period following reinforcement of regionalisation policies.

Epidemiological studies suggested that trans-resveratrol, a wine grape component, could prevent malignant tumor development. This compound also demonstrated cytostatic and cytotoxic effects on tumor cells in vitro. To obtain trans-resveratrol derivatives with a better cellular uptake and enhanced antiproliferative effects, we synthesized a triacetate derivative as well as an oligomer, epsilon-viniferin and its acetylated form, epsilon-viniferin penta-acetate. We also obtained vineatrol, a wine grape shoot extract that associates several polyphenols that may act synergistically, including trans-resveratrol and epsilon-viniferin. We show here that resveratrol triacetate and vineatrol are as efficient as trans-resveratrol in inducing the accumulation of human colon cancer cells in early S phase of the cell cycle. This effect is associated with a nuclear redistribution of cyclin A and the formation of a cyclin A/cyclin-dependent kinase 2 complex whose kinase activity is increased. In contrast, epsilon-viniferin and its acetylated form do not demonstrate any significant activity on these cells when tested alone. Interestingly, resveratrol triacetate and vineatrol dramatically enhance 5-Fluoro-Uracil-mediated inhibition of colon cancer cell proliferation. Thus, acetylated derivatives of resveratrol have retained the cytostatic and cytotoxic activities of the parental molecule and thus deserve to be tested as chemosensitizers in animal models., (Copyright 2008 UICC.)

Pharmaceutical products are often present in wastewater treatment effluents, rivers, lakes and, more rarely, in groundwater. The advanced oxidation methods, like ultrasound, find a promising future in the area of wastewater treatment. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the influence of several parameters of the ultrasound process on the degradation of paracetamol, a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory recalcitrant drug found in water and levodopa, the most frequently prescribed drug for the treatment of Parkinson disease. Experiments were carried out at 574, 860 and 1134kHz of ultrasonic frequency with horn-type sonicator and actual power values of 9, 17, 22 and 32W at 20 degrees C. Initial concentrations of 25, 50, 100 and 150mgL(-1) of both products were used. Treatment efficiency was assessed following changes in pharmaceuticals concentration and chemical oxygen demand. The sonochemical degradation of both products follows a pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. Complete removal of pharmaceuticals was achieved in some cases but some dissolved organic carbon remains in solution showing that long lived intermediates were recalcitrant to ultrasound irradiation. Pollutants conversion and COD removal were found to decrease with increasing the initial solute concentration and decreasing power. The best results were obtained with 574kHz frequency. Investigations using 1-butanol as radical scavenger and H(2)O(2) as promoter revealed that pollutants degradation proceeds principally through radical reactions, although some differences were observed between both molecules. Addition of H(2)O(2) had a positive effect on degradation rate, but the optimum concentration of hydrogen peroxide depends on the pollutant.

In order to provide a global analysis of the effects of endocrine disruptors on the hormone cellular bioavailability, we combined 17beta-estradiol (E2) cellular flow studies with real-time PCR and Western blot expression measurements of genes involved in the hormone metabolism and excretion. Three endocrine disruptors commonly found in food were chosen for this study, which was conducted in the estrogen receptor (ER) negative hepatoblastoma HepG2 cell line: bisphenol A (BPA), genistein (GEN) and resveratrol (RES). We showed that 24 h after a single dose treatment with genistein, resveratrol or bisphenol A, the expression of ATP-binding cassette transporters (the multidrug resistance or MDR, and the multidrug resistance associated proteins or MRP) uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferases (UGT) and/or sulfotransferases (ST) involved in 17beta-estradiol elimination process were significantly modulated and that 17beta-estradiol cellular flow was modified. Resveratrol induced MDR1 and MRP3 expressions, bisphenol A induced MRP2 and MRP3 expressions, and both enhanced 17beta-estradiol efflux. Genistein, on the other hand, inhibited ST1E1 and UGT1A1 expressions, and led to 17beta-estradiol cellular retention. Thus, we demonstrate that bisphenol A, genistein and resveratrol modulate 17beta-estradiol cellular bioavailability in HepG2 and that these modulations most probably involve regulations of 17beta-estradiol phase II and III metabolism proteins. Up to now, the estrogenicity of environmental estrogenic pollutants has been based on the property of these compounds to bind to ERs. Our results obtained with ER negative cells provide strong evidence for the existence of ER-independent pathways leading to endocrine disruption.

Resveratrol is a well known polyphenol largely produced in grapevine. It is a strong antioxidant and a free radical scavenger. It exhibits several beneficial effects for health including cancer. Resveratrol antioxidant activity is essential in the prevention of chemical-induced cancer by inhibiting initiation step of carcinogenesis process but it is also considered to inhibit cancer promotion and progression steps. While the effects of resveratrol on cancer cells are widely described, the data available on the antiproliferative potential of resveratrol derivatives remain weak. Nevertheless, resveratrol analogs could exhibit stronger potentials than the parent molecule. So, we compared the cellular effects of trans-resveratrol, trans-epsilon-viniferin and their respective acetate derivatives, as well as a polyphenol mixture extracted from grapevine shoots, called vineatrol. We studied their abilities to interfere with cell proliferation, their uptake and their effects on parameters of cellular state in human hepatoma cells (HepG2). Cell growth experiments show that resveratrol triacetate presents a slightly better antiproliferative potential than resveratrol. The dimer epsilon-viniferin,as well as its pentaacetate analog, is less powerful than resveratrol, although a similar uptake kinetics in cells. Interestingly, among the tested polyphenols, vineatrol is the most potent solution, indicating a possible synergistic effect of both resveratrol and epsilon-viniferin. We took advantage of the fluorescence properties of these compounds to evidence cellular uptake by using flow cytometry. In addition, by competition assay, we demonstrate that resveratrol triacetate enters in hepatic HepG2 cells by the same way as resveratrol. By autofluorescence in situ measurement we observed that resveratrol and related compounds induce deep changes in cells activity. These changes occur mainly by increasing NADPH cell content and the number of green fluorescent cytoplasmic granular structures which may be related to an induction of detoxifying enzyme mechanisms.

Resveratrol may function as a cancer chemopreventive agent. However, few data are available on the antitumoral activities of its dimer, epsilon-viniferin, also present in human diet. So, the effects of resveratrol, epsilon-viniferin, of their acetylated forms (resveratrol triacetate, epsilon-viniferin pentaacetate) and of vineatrol (a wine grape extract) were compared on human adenocarcinoma colon cells. Resveratrol and resveratrol triacetate inhibit cell proliferation and arrest cell cycle. epsilon-Viniferin and epsilon-viniferin pentaacetate slightly reduce cell proliferation. Vineatrol inhibits cell proliferation and favors an accumulation in the S phase of the cell cycle. Consequently, resveratrol triacetate and vineatrol could constitute new putative anticancer agents on colon carcinoma.

Delivery of very preterm babies in maternity units with on-site neonatal intensive care (level III units) is associated with lower mortality and morbidity. This analysis explores risk factors for not delivering in a level III unit, using data from a population-based study of very preterm births in Paris and surrounding districts in 2003. The sample for analysis included resident women with a fetus alive at the onset of labour between 24 and 31 weeks of gestation (n = 641). Characteristics of women delivering in and those not in level III units were compared using logistic regression. Further analysis was carried out for the subgroup of women not already scheduled to deliver in a level III unit. Twenty-nine per cent of women did not deliver in level III units; in the subgroup scheduled to deliver in level I or II units, 43% were not transferred. Women were less likely to deliver in a level III unit if they had a singleton pregnancy, a gestation of <26 weeks or at 31 weeks, experienced antenatal haemorrhaging, lived in socially deprived neighbourhoods or at a greater distance from the nearest level III. Women scheduled to deliver in a maternity unit with a special care nursery were also less likely to deliver in a level III unit. In contrast, preterm rupture of membranes and fetal growth restriction increased the likelihood of a level III delivery. These results underline the importance of controlling for clinical characteristics when analysing perinatal outcome by place of delivery and show how socioeconomic factors, known to impact on the risk of having a preterm birth, can also affect access to appropriate care.

trans-Resveratrol is a polyphenol present in several plant species. Its chemopreventive properties against several diseases have been largely documented. To validate a model for the study of the factors influencing its biological fate at the hepatic level, the metabolism and the efflux of resveratrol were studied in the human hepatoblastoma cell line, HepG2. Comparative high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of cell culture media before and after deconjugation showed that resveratrol was rapidly conjugated; at the concentration of 10 microM, it was entirely metabolized at 8 h of incubation. Two main resveratrol metabolites, monosulfate and disulfate, were identified by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry, thanks to their quasi-molecular ion and their characteristic fragmentation. To correlate with the auto-induction of resveratrol metabolism evidenced in HepG2 cells after a pretreatment for 48 h with 10 microM resveratrol, the inducibility of phase II enzymes by resveratrol was studied by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry. Observed, in particular, were an increase in mRNA expression levels of three metabolizing enzymes, two isoforms of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases, UGT1A1 and UGT2B7 (5-fold increased), and a sulfotransferase, ST1E1, in cells pretreated for 24 h with 10 microM resveratrol. These results were correlated with an increase in protein expression, especially after 48 h of treatment. On the other hand, the intracellular resveratrol retention in cells treated with MK571 (3-[[3-[2-(7-chloroquinolin-2-yl)vinyl]phenyl]-(2-dimethylcarbamoylethylsulfanyl)methylsulfanyl] propionic acid), a multidrug resistance-associated protein inhibitor, strongly suggests the involvement of this ABC transporter family in the efflux of resveratrol conjugates from human liver.

Resveratrol (3,4',5 tri-hydroxystilbene) is a phytoalexin produced in hudge amount in grapevine skin in response to infection by Bothrytis cinerea. This production of resveratrol blocks the proliferation of the pathogen, thereby acting as a natural antibiotic. Numerous studies have reported interesting properties of trans-resveratrol as a preventive agent against important pathologies i.e. vascular diseases, cancers, viral infection or neurodegenerative processes. Moreover, several epidemiological studies have revealed that resveratrol is probably one of the main microcomponents of wine responsible for its health benefits such as prevention of vaso-coronary diseases and cancer. Resveratrol acts on the process of carcinogenesis by affecting the three phases: tumor initiation, promotion and progression phases and suppresses the final steps of carcinogenesis, i.e. angiogenesis and metastasis. It is also able to activate apoptosis, to arrest the cell cycle or to inhibit kinase pathways. Interestingly, resveratrol does not present any cytotoxicity in animal models. Moreover, concentrations of resveratrol in blood seem to be sufficient for anti-invasive activity. The enterohepatic recirculation may contribute to a delayed elimination of the drug from the body and bring about a prolonged effect. By its binding to plasmatic proteins, resveratrol also exhibits a prolonged effect. Interestingly, low doses of resveratrol can sensitize to low doses of cytotoxic drugs and so provide an innovative strategy to enhance the efficacy of anticancer therapy in various human cancers. By these properties, resveratrol appears to be a good candidate in chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic strategies and is believed to be a novel weapon for new therapeutic strategies.

Although new technologies aid in making a rapid diagnosis and help predict clinical course of treatment, the diagnosis of stress fractures remains dependent on a high index of suspicion. Management of stress fractures involves clinical knowledge of those stress fractures that are prone to complication. The identification of predisposing factors to stress injury should be addressed. These include proper nutrition, hormonal balance, and correcting biomechanical deficits and training errors. Comprehensive evaluation and treatment is essential in facilitating recovery from stress fracture. Several new and more aggressive prevention and treatment strategies have been reported. The maintenance of cardiovascular fitness throughout the recovery process remains a key to the fastest return to full participation.

Objective: To determine common sideline practices for the management of clinical information in the collegiate setting and review available literature on sideline documentation., Data Sources: A survey was distributed to member schools of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) to elicit the individual school practices with regard to injury evaluation, medication dispensation, extent of medical record availability, and means and timing of documentation. Articles were retrieved from Pubmed and SportDiscus searches for combinations of terms sports injuries, athletic injuries, return to play, documentation, medical record, injury report, injury card, and injury tracking for items relevant to sideline documentation methods for return to play decision making., Results: We obtained responses from 100% of member schools. One hundred percent of ACC member schools dispense prescription medication following injury evaluation on the sideline. Four of 11 schools do not perform some elemental documentation at that time. Four of 11 ACC schools use some form of electronic medical record for injury documentation. Most schools have access to elemental medical information (such as allergy and medical conditions) on the sideline. A literature search yielded several references to concussion and injury tracking; however, no systematic reports examining sideline documentation systems were obtained. Two articles utilizing card-based systems for injury tracking in the collegiate setting were retrieved., Conclusions: On-field documentation of return to play decision making has not been widely discussed or systematically studied. In the ACC, most institutions record clinically relevant athletic injury data on-site at the time of evaluation and later prepare a full note describing the evaluation and return to play decisions. We discuss a laminated card-based and a handheld computer-based system as 2 methods for efficient documentation of sideline treatment and return to play decisions. Commercial products and sideline information management and data collection are also discussed.

Newly synthesized 4,5-di-substituted acridines were assessed for in vitro antileishmanial activities as compared to those of their 4-mono-substituted homologues. Mono-substituted acridines exhibited a weak specificity for Leishmania parasites. Di-substituted acridines, on the contrary, displayed interesting amastigote-specific activities through a mechanism of action that might not involve intercalation to DNA. This antileishmanial property, associated with a low antiproliferative activity towards human cells, led to the identification of a new class of promising acridine derivatives such as 4,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)acridine with a nonclassical mechanism of action based on the inhibition of Leishmania internalization within macrophages. In the meantime, the effects of experimental lighting on the biological properties of acridines were assessed: experimental lighting did not significantly improve the antileishmanial activity of the compounds since it produced a greater toxicity against human cells.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in developed countries where the common pathological substrate underlying this process is atherosclerosis. Several new concepts have emerged in relation to mechanisms that contribute to the regulation of the vascular diseases and associated inflammatory effects. Recently, potential antioxidants (vitamin E, polyphenols) have received much attention as potential anti-atherosclerotic agents. Among the polyphenols with health benefic properties, resveratrol, a phytoalexin of grape, seem to be a good candidate protecting the vascular walls from oxidation, inflammation, platelet aggregation, and thrombus formation. In this review, we focus on the mechanism of resveratrol cardiovascular benefic effects. We analyze, in relation with the different steps of atherosclerotic process, the resveratrol properties at multiple levels, such as cellular signaling, enzymatic pathways, apoptosis, and gene expression. We show and discuss the relationship with reactive oxygen species, regulation of pro-inflammatory genes including cycloxygenases and cytokines in molecular inflammatory and aging processes, and how the regulation of these activites by resveratrol can lead to a prevention of vascular diseases.

Some 30 million Americans are involved in equestrian sports. Although there is significant literature regarding catastrophic injury, there is very little literature that addresses overuse injury and its effect on rider and horse. As the horse and rider function as a unit, overuse injuries to the rider can affect the horse's training and responsiveness. Sports physicians treating riders should understand correct posture in the saddle and its alteration by muscular imbalance and injury. This review discusses common equestrian events, and common overuse injuries in recreational and competitive riders.

The natural phytoalexin resveratrol (3, 5, 4'-trihydroxystilbene) exhibits both chemopreventive and antitumor activities through a variety of mechanisms. We have shown previously that resveratrol-induced apoptosis of a human colon cancer cell line involved the redistribution of CD95 (Fas/Apo-1) into lipid rafts. Here, we show that, in colon cancer cells that resist to resveratrol-induced apoptosis, the polyphenol also induces a redistribution of death receptors into lipid rafts. This effect sensitizes these tumor cells to death receptor-mediated apoptosis. In resveratrol-treated cells, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), anti-CD95 antibodies and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) activate a caspase-dependent death pathway that escapes Bcl-2-mediated inhibition. Resveratrol does not enhance the number of death receptors at the surface of tumor cells but induces their redistribution into lipid rafts and facilitates the caspase cascade activation in response to death receptor stimulation. The cholesterol sequestering agent nystatin prevents resveratrol-induced death receptor redistribution and cell sensitization to death receptor stimulation. Thus, whatever its ability to induce apoptosis in a tumor cell, resveratrol induces redistribution of death receptors into lipid rafts. This redistribution sensitizes the cells to death receptor stimulation. Such a sensitizing effect may be of therapeutic interest if TRAIL agonists are introduced in clinics.

Resveratrol produced by several plants, berries and fruits, including grapes, is one of the best known natural food microcomponents with potent chemopreventive properties towards the most severe contemporary human diseases: cardiovascular sickness, cancer and neurodegenerative pathologies. Demonstration of its mechanism of action also implies the elucidation of the steps of bioavailability and bioabsorption in cells and tissues. In order to estimate the relationships between the amounts of resveratrol taken up by food or drink intake, and the several possible benefits illustrated from in vitro/in vivo experiments and from epidemiological studies, it is essential to demonstrate step by step the route of resveratrol from plasma to the cell active site. In plasma, resveratrol was shown to interact with lipoproteins. This commentary also contains previously unpublished results about interactions between resveratrol and albumin and the enhancement of this binding in presence of fatty acids. We have previously described that resveratrol uptake by hepatic cells involves two processes--a passive one and a carrier-mediated one. Thanks to this last process, resveratrol, while tightly bound to blood proteins, could be largely delivered to body tissues. The intracellular proteic targets of resveratrol remain to be identified.

This work reports significant advances on the transport in hepatic cells of resveratrol, a natural polyphenol with potent protective properties. First, we describe a new simple technique to qualitatively follow resveratrol cell uptake and intracellular distribution, based on resveratrol fluorescent properties. Second, the time-course study and the quantification of (3)H-labelled resveratrol uptake have been performed using human hepatic derived cells (HepG2 tumor cells) and hepatocytes. The temperature-dependence of the kinetics of uptake as well as the cis-inhibition experiments agree with the involvement of a carrier-mediated transport in addition to passive diffusion. The decrease of passive uptake resulting from resveratrol binding to serum proteins brings to light a mediated mechanism in physiological situation.

Resveratrol, a polyphenol found in grape skin and various other food products, may function as a cancer chemopreventive agent for colon and other malignant tumors and possesses a chemotherapeutic potential through its ability to trigger apoptosis in tumor cells. The present study analyses the molecular mechanisms of resveratrol-induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells, with special attention to the role of the death receptor Fas in this pathway. We show that, in the 10-100 microm range of concentrations, resveratrol activates various caspases and triggers apoptosis in SW480 human colon cancer cells. Caspase activation is associated with accumulation of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Bak that undergo conformational changes and relocalization to the mitochondria. Resveratrol does not modulate the expression of Fas and Fas-ligand (FasL) at the surface of cancer cells, and inhibition of the Fas/FasL interaction does not influence the apoptotic response to the molecule. Resveratrol induces the clustering of Fas and its redistribution in cholesterol and sphingolipid-rich fractions of SW480 cells, together with FADD and procaspase-8. This redistribution is associated with the formation of a death-inducing signaling complex (DISC). Transient transfection of either a dominant-negative mutant of FADD, E8, or MC159 viral proteins that interfere with the DISC function, decreases the apoptotic response of SW480 cells to resveratrol and partially prevents resveratrol-induced Bax and Bak conformational changes. Altogether, these results indicate that the ability of resveratrol to induce the redistribution of Fas receptor in membrane rafts may contribute to the molecule's ability to trigger apoptosis in colon cancer cells.

As a plant microcomponent, resveratrol is a polyphenolic compound produced by several species and found especially in Polygonum roots, peanuts seeds, berries and also grape and therefore can be present in human diet or beverages (red wine, for instance). Traditional chinese medicine and more recent epidemiological studies strongly suggested that resveratrol may act as a cancer chemopreventive compound. The biochemical mechanism by which resveratrol inhibits cell proliferation was provided by studies in numerous human cell lines including our work in hepatoblastoma HepG2 and colorectal tumor SW480 cells. The results show that resveratrol strongly inhibits cell proliferation at the micromolar range in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Resveratrol appears to block the cell cycle at the transition S to G2/M since there is no inhibition of [3H]-thymidine incorporation observed, while there is an increase of the cell number in S phase. On the other hand, in order to evaluate if the amount of resveratrol taken up during food or drink consumption is sufficient to ensure in the whole body the in vitro described beneficial effects, we evaluated the ratio between plasmatic level of resveratrol and its cell bioabsorption. Our study reports a higher uptake of resveratrol in the human hepatic derived HepG2 cells than in colorectal derived SW480 cells. In contrast, resveratrol is conjugated in these cells and derivatives are released in large amounts in the cell medium. Based on present knowledge, resveratrol appears to be a promising bioactive natural molecule with potential applications in phytotherapy, pharmacology or in nutriprotection (nutraceutic food) area.

The regulation of the bacterial exoproteolytic activity, at natural substrate concentrations, was studied during the survey of an Atlantic coastal marine pond (France). The regulation of this activity occurs at two different levels: on the one hand, at the cellular level, the ectoenzyme synthesis is regulated by hydrolysis substrates, dissolved combined amino acids (DCAA), and end products, dissolved free amino acids (DFAA), in terms of the relative amounts available to the cell, and on the other hand, at the ecosystem level, i.e. the hydrolytic activity, by the total amounts of DCAA and DFAA in situ. The DFAA acts as an inhibitor in enzymatic synthesis; in contrast, dissolved proteins induce the enzymatic synthesis and the exoproteolytic activity. These results, obtained in natural concentration conditions, confirm the functioning in situ of the ectoenzymatic activity regulation model of Chróst, until now only validated in an enriched experimental medium.