Effects of Resveratrol on Crosstalk Between Canonical β-catenin/Wnt and FOXO Pathways in Coronary Artery Disease Patients With Metabolic Syndrome: A Case Control Study

Metabolic syndrome is a constellation of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors including obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension and dyslipidemia. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is considerably linked with these risk factors. Oxidative stress has a major role in development of atherosclerosis that is believed as the most common pathologic process underlying CAD. The up-regulated gene-expression of free radical scavenging enzymes such as manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) by members of the forkhead box O (FOXO) transcription factors is considered to be one of the paramount cell defensive mechanisms against oxidative damage. It is now well recognized that β-catenin binds to FOXOs during oxidative stress and acts as the pivotal mediator in canonical Wnt signaling, so that it translocates to the nucleus and interacts with the family of transcription factors T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (TCF/LEF), to regulate the expression of Wnt target genes. Recent evidence suggested that the canonical Wnt signaling plays a profound role in regulation of lipid metabolism and glucose homeostasis. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPAR-δ) is one of the Wnt target genes which is believed to be operative in cardiometabolic protection. Interestingly, it has been demonstrated that impaired Wnt signaling pathway is contributed to inflammation, foam cell formation, and endothelial dysfunction which are recognized as atherosclerosis pathogenic factors. Resveratrol (RES) (3, 4´, 5 trihydroxystilbene), a natural polyphenol with antioxidant effects can be found in red grapes and its processed drinks (e.g. red wine), peanuts, pomegranates and mulberries.Increasing body of evidence suggest a protective role for RES against CAD, however the underlying mechanisms still remain to be elucidated. We perform this study on 10 metabolic syndrome patients with three-vessel CAD and 10 sex-aged matched (men with 40-55 years old) healthy subjects as controls. The effects of RES on β-Catenin, manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPAR-δ) expression are evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of participants.