Resveratrol and Cerebral Arterioles during Type 1 Diabetes

Chronic hyperglycemia is associated with type 1 diabetes, and produces damage to many organ systems (including the brain), is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and is a major economic burden throughout the world. Investigators have suggested that the damaging effects of diabetes on peripheral organs appear to be related to an increase in oxidative stress. Alterations in the reactivity of large and small arteries may contribute to the progression of organ damage observed in diabetics. The brain and the blood vessels within it are also susceptible to the damaging effects of hyperglycemia-induced increases in oxidative stress. Impaired dilation of cerebral vessels due to an increase in oxidative stress may contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetes-induced complications of the brain, including cognitive impairment and stroke. Many naturally occurring compounds are capable of ameliorating oxidative stress in blood vessels, thus producing an increase in overall vascular health. We will focus on the positive influence of resveratrol on cerebral arterioles in type 1 diabetes. We suggest an important therapeutic potential for resveratrol in treating diabetes-induced cerebrovascular dysfunction, including cognitive impairment and stroke.