Resveratrol (3,4’-trihydroxystilbene) is a natural product that can be found in significant concentrations food products like red wine, peanuts, walnuts etc. There have been some evidence that indicates that resveratrol has anti-tumorigenic activity, including in prostate cancer tumors.

The precise mechanism associated with resveratrol-induced SIRT1 activation and cancer cell growth inhibition remains unclear, but we do know that it does induce anti-tumor activities.

At the recent AACR meeting in Chicago there was a phase 2 study looking at whether resveratrol intervention suppresses the development and progression of PIN (Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia), thought to be a pre-cursor to the development of prostate cancer.

In the study the role of SIRT1 and the underlying mechanism involved in resveratrol-mediated biological effects was examined. Results showed that resveratrol significantly inhibited proliferation of multiple prostate cell lines including RWPE-1, C42B, PC3 and DU145 at higher concentrations (> 50 µM); however, at lower concentrations (< 25 µM), resveratrol prompted cell proliferation, or encouraged cell growth. They also found that androgen responsive LNCaP cells exhibited resistance to resveratrol-mediated inhibition. Using prostate specific PTEN-/- mice, they found that dietary administration of resveratrol reduced the incidence of high-grade PIN lesions significantly. However, remember that one can not automatically draw direct conclusions from animal models. Also, I am concerned about the finding that at lower doses resveratrol encouraged prostate cell growth. Abstract #2585
Resveratrol induces autophagy in prostate cancer cells and intervention suppresses the progression of PIN in animals
Guiming Li1, Rita Ghosh1, Paul Rivas1, Robert Lee Reddick2, Addanki Pratap Kumar3. 1Department of Urology, UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX;2Department of Pathology, UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX;3Department of Urology, UT Health Science Center and South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX

Joel T Nowak, M.A., M.S.W.