Original Article Resveratrol Protects Against Pathological Preterm Birth by Suppression of Macrophage-Mediated Inflammation

Inflammatory cytokines play a major role in spontaneous preterm birth. Resveratrol has strong anti-inflammatory effects, but its effect on preterm birth in vivo is unknown. We investigated whether resveratrol protects against preterm birth in the lipopo-lysaccharide (LPS)-induced preterm mouse model. Twelve-day-old pregnant mice were fed 20 to 40 mg/kg resveratrol daily. On day 15, 10 mg of LPS was injected into uterine cervices. Resveratrol administration significantly decreased the rate of preterm birth. Resveratrol administration abolished LPS-induced elevation of tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-a) and interleukin (IL) 1b but not IL-6 levels. The TNF-a messenger RNA levels were decreased in the cervices of resveratrol-administered mice compared with controls. Resveratrol treatment suppressed the elevation in TNF-a and IL-1b levels in LPS-exposed peritoneal macrophages. Further resveratrol treatment eradicated the proinflammatory cytokine-mediated elevation in cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) in peritoneal macrophages. Resveratrol may protect against pathological preterm birth by suppression of elevated proinflammatory cytokines and consequent elevation of COX-2 in macrophages