Resveratrol Protects Against Myocardial Reperfusion Injury By Inhibiting Autophagy Partly Through The SIRT Pathway

ObjectThe relationship between the cardioprotective effects of resveratrol in vitro and autophagy and the underlying pathway are investigated for the first time.MethodThirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 250-300 g were randomly divided into four groups (n=8 each):C, control; R, resveratrol treatment; RN, resveratrol+ nicotinamide treatment; N, nicotinamide treatment. The left ventricular functional parameters were recorded at baseline, and at 30 (Rep30) and 120 min (Rep 120) of reperfusion. The infarct size was measured after the heart was stained with triphenyltetrazolium chloride. The level of autophagy was determined by electron microscopy and Western Blot.ResultsThe R group showed better functional parameters than the C group (LVDP 78.9±4.8 mmHg vs 32±5.7 mmHg,+dp/dt 2431±259 mmHg/s vs 1141±229 mmHg/s, and-dp/dt-1542±122 mmHg/s vs-759±102 mmHg/s, respectively) and smaller infarct size (16.6±2.5% vs 45±3%) at Rep120, while there were no differences at baseline and Rep30. The level of autophagy in the R group was lower than in the C group. All the beneficial effects were abrogated by the SIRT1 inhibitor, nicotinamide.ConclusionResveratrol is a good drug for inhibiting myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, and this protective effect is partly due to its inhibition of autophagy via the SIRT1 pathway.