In Vitro evaluation of the cytotoxic and anti-proliferative properties of resveratrol and several of its analogs

Resveratrol (RES), a component of red wine, possesses anti-inflammatory properties. The studies described in the present work were aimed at evaluating the potential for RES and related stilbene analogs (piceatannol, PIC; pterostilbene, TPS; trans-stilbene, TS; and trans-stilbene oxide, TSO) to exhibit toxicity towards RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages. The effect of TS, TSO, RES and TPS on RAW 264.7 macrophage viability was determined by two standard methods: (a) the MTT assay and (b) the trypan blue dye exclusion test. Whereas macrophages were more sensitive to PIC (LC(50 trypan) approximately 1.3 muM) and to TPS (LC(50 trypan) approximately 4.0 microM and LC(50 MTT) approximately 8.3 microM) than to RES (LC(50 trypan) approximately 8.9 microM and LC(50 MTT) approximately 29.0 microM), they were relatively resistant to TSO (LC(50 trypan) approximately 61.0 microM and LC(50 MTT) > 100 microM) and to TS (LC(50 trypan) > or = 5.0 microM and LC(50 MTT) > or = 5.0 microM). The ability of selected stilbenes (RES, TPS and PIC) to exhibit growth inhibitory effects was also examined. Although RES and TPS were observed to inhibit cell proliferation in macrophages (IC(50) < or = 25 microM), these cells were resistant to growth inhibition by PIC (IC(50) > or = 50 microM). The data obtained in the present analysis demonstrate that substituted stilbene compounds such as RES have the capacity to exhibit cytotoxic and anti-proliferative activities in macrophages.