University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have found that resveratrol appeared to halt age-related changes in the function of heart genes.

The effects, described in the PLOS One journal, appeared to mimic those produced by eating a very low calorie diet, known to prolong life.

Resveratrol, has been suggested as one of the reasons for the so-called “French paradox” – the relative longevity of the French despite a diet rich in artery-clogging animal fats. It is also believed to have anti-inflammatory properties that have been studied as chemopreventive against three stages of the cancer process, initiation, promotion and progression.

Previous research has shown that resveratrol in high doses extends lifespan in invertebrates and prevents early mortality in mice given a high-fat diet. The new study, extends those findings, showing that resveratrol in low doses and beginning in middle age can elicit many of the same benefits as a reduced-calorie diet.

The Wisconsin researchers tested the chemical on “middle-aged” mice, looking at the effects on the workings of genes in the heart.

The natural ageing process in animals and humans is marked by changes in the function, or expression, of thousands of genes in the organ, and even though the precise consequences of all these changes in gene expression is not fully understood, they are thought to contribute to its gradual overall weakening.

The mice on resveratrol appeared to have fewer changes in gene expression over time compared with those who did not.

Many animals who undergo “calorific restriction” live longer, and Dr Tomas Prolla, one of the lead authors, suggested a similar process might be at work.

Posted: 06|4|08 at 5:49 pm. Filed under: News.