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Editors Selection IGR 16-1

Medical Treatment: Dietary supplements

Comment by Jonathan Crowston on:

60639 Protection of injured retinal ganglion cell dendrites and unfolded protein response resolution after long-term dietary resveratrol, Lindsey JD; Duong-Polk KX; Hammond D et al., Neurobiology of Aging, 2015; 0:

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Resveratrol, a polyphenol present in red wine and peanuts has long been thought to have antiageing effects and is thought to contribute to the 'French Paradox'; the lower than expected rates of coronary heart disease in the French population, despite a tasty but somewhat saturated fat-laden diet.

Resveratrol, a polyphenol present in red wine and peanuts has long been thought to have anti-ageing effects and is thought to contribute to the 'French Paradox'

James Lindsey and colleagues investigated whether resveratrol confers protection in retinal ganglion cells of older mice, after optic nerve crush injury. They fed a cohort of transgenic mice (Thy-1-YFP, which have fluorescent retinal ganglion cells) a diet supplemented with resveratrol starting from one month of age. Unilateral optic nerve crush was induced at 12 months of age and subsequent alterations in RGC dendrite architecture was followed over time, using in-vivo fluorescent imaging, which generated some impressive pictures.

Mice fed the resveratrol diet had slower rates of dendrite shortening, delayed loss of dendrite complexity and complete dendrite loss compared to mice of equivalent age, but fed on a resveratrol-free diet. Interestingly, sub-analysis of different RGC subtypes (identified on the basis of dendrite morphology) suggested that some but not all RGC types were protected. Protection, as expected from such a significant injury was only temporary with substantial loss of RGCs in all groups by four weeks.

To investigate possible mechanisms as to how resveratrol may be protecting RGCs, the authors chose to look at proteins of unfolded protein response, these are thought to protect endoplasmic reticulum in times of cellular stress. Resveratrol did alter expression of three UPR proteins (BiP, CHOP and XBP-1) but further work is required to determine whether these changes are key to conferring protection through resveratrol or merely associated changes.

Resveratrol has received much attention over recent years as a candidate agent for delaying age-related morbidity and mortality. This work provides an exciting insight into the possibility that it may have a direct impact on protecting retinal ganglion cells from injury.

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