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Eating grapes may reverse lung aging

by Stepy — February 24, 2017

Eating grapes may reverse lung aging, according to research from The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

“We believe that ours is the first study to demonstrate a beneficial effect of lung-directed resveratrol treatments on aging lung function,” said lead author Barbara Driscoll, PhD.

Resveratrol (RSL), a chemical found in grapes, is an antimicrobial substance that plants produce to protect against attack and infection. It has been shown to support metabolism.

The study release explained the following about the methods:

RSL prophylaxis by inhalation was a novel measure taken by the research team as a potential approach for slowing age-related deterioration of lung function and structure by preserving alveolar epithelial type 2 cells (AEC2) which line alveoli (the tiny air sacs in the lungs through which the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place) and produce surfactant which is vital for efficient breathing.

The research team treated mice with RSL, and found that it can slow the rate of lung aging.

The authors reported the following results:

RSL treatments delayed the loss of lung compliance (p<0.05), maintained lung structure (p<0.001) and blocked parenchymal cell DNA damage as measured by TdT Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL). RSL, a known agonist of deacetylase SIRT1, supported AEC2 survival by stimulating SIRT1 expression, promoting p53 destabilisation and decreasing Bax expression and by maintaining expression levels of Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α), activated p-Akt and p-Mdm2 and inactivated Phospho-Phosphatase and tensin homolog (p-PTEN).

“While the natural deterioration of the human lung generally occurs over decades, the injury to lung cells is analogous to the lung cell damage that occurs in premature infants who experience respiratory distress before their lungs have fully developed,” added Driscoll. “Identifying a way to protect and strengthen young lungs before significant damage occurs is the goal of our research.”

The study showing that eating grapes may reverse lung aging was published in the BMJ.

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