During a heart attack or stroke, tissue can be injured when blood flow is blocked (ischemia) and then restored (reperfusion) after a period of time. Tissue damage from ischemia is due to a lack of oxygen and nutrients, while restoring blood flow and oxygen generates cell-damaging free radicals. Humans are capable of preconditioning the heart—a protective process where brief periods of ischemia and reperfusion condition the heart, making it more resistant to longer periods of ischemia. Understanding the biochemical signaling pathways of this process will help develop more effective therapies to protect the heart from injury. Resveratrol, an antioxidant compound found in red wine, was reported to help precondition the heart by activating Cyclic-AMP Response Element Binding, or CREB proteins, which switch genes on and off. The activation of CREB by resveratrol was identified as being dependent on the enzyme protein kinase. In the present study, isolated animal hearts were exposed to Protykin®, a standardized 50% resveratrol extract, in the absence or presence of chemicals that block compounds along the CREB activation pathway. The effect of each chemical on the heart-protecting action of Protykin® was assessed by measuring tissue damage, cell death and ventricular recovery after ischemia and reperfusion. Protykin® can act through adenosine A₃ receptor signaling as well as through protein kinase to trigger CREB activation. The results indicate that Protykin® affects several pathways that lead to heart protection.

Source: Das S, Tosaki A, Bagchi D, Maulik N, Das D, Resveratrol Activation of CREB Through Adenosine A₃ Receptor by Akt-Dependent and ‑Independent Pathway, Experimental Biology Meeting, San Diego, CA, Volume 19, No. 5:abs 829.8, April 2005.