Resveratrol is a phytoalexin, stilbenoid compound with antioxidant properties attributable to its bioactive trans-resveratrol content. This study characterized the effects of over-the-counter (OTC) resveratrol nutritional supplements and a HPLC-purified resveratrol formulation, in human transmitochondrial age-related macular degeneration (AMD) retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) patient cell lines. These cell lines, which were created by fusing blood platelets obtained from dry and wet AMD patients with mitochondria-deficient (Rho0) ARPE-19 cells, had identical nuclei (derived from ARPE-19 cells) but different mitochondria that were derived from AMD patients. After resveratrol treatment, the levels of cell viability and reactive oxygen species production were measured. Results demonstrated that treatment with different resveratrol formulations improved cell viability and decreased reactive oxygen species generation in each AMD patient cell line. Although further studies are required to establish the cytoprotective potential of resveratrol under different physiological conditions, this novel study established the positive effects of OTC resveratrol supplements in macular degeneration patient cybrid cell lines in vitro.
Keywords: AMD; RPE; age-related macular degeneration; cybrids; macular degeneration; nutraceutical; over-the-counter nutritional supplements; phytoalexin; resveratrol; retina; retinal pigment epithelial cells; stilbenoid.