Resveratrol in red wine could help to treat endometriosis

Researchers at the Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran have found that the anti-inflammatory properties of resveratrol, present in red wine and berries, could help to treat endometriosis.
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. It can affect women of any age and can cause chronic pain, irregular bleeding and infertility. There is no cure for endometriosis, which is treated with anti-inflammatory medication.
The study aimed to find out how effective resveratrol – an antioxidant-rich compound was in treating the symptoms of endometriosis. The researchers tested the antioxidant in the lab on endometrial cells, collecting endometrial cells from 40 patients suffering from stage 3 or 4 endometriosis, along with 15 patients without the condition. After isolating the cells, the scientists treated them with varying amounts of resveratrol.
Three genes and the proteins they produce cause endometrial cells growing outside the uterus: vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). The researchers found that resveratrol suppressed all three of the genes, controlling inflammation.
“According to the findings, resveratrol may ameliorate endometriosis progression through reducing the expression of these genes in endometrial cells,” the researchers report, adding that further research was needed.
Source: Arablou, T., Aryaeian, N., Khodaverdi, S. et al. The effects of resveratrol on the expression of VEGF, TGF-β, and MMP-9 in endometrial stromal cells of women with endometriosis. Sci Rep 11, 6054 (2021).