Resveratrol Effects On Autoimmune Hepatitis

Medications that can interfere with the immune system mistakenly attacking the liver are used to treat autoimmune hepatitis. If these medications fail or if the liver is too damaged, a liver transplant will be needed. However, research scientists are investigating the possibility of using resveratrol because it fights inflammation, destroys oxygen-free radicals and lowers the number of secretions that are released by the immune system cells.

Autoimmune Hepatitis

Autoimmune hepatitis is a disorder where the liver is inflamed because the immune system is attacking it instead of only attacking foreign substances. The disease usually affects young and middle-aged women, and affects approximately 8.5 people out of every one million, according to Lawrence Friedman, M.D., professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in "Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment." Many people do not have any symptoms; others may feel tired, have a low fever, an uncomfortable feeling in their abdomen and no appetite.

Resveratrol and Autoimmune Diseases

Resveratrol is is made by certain plants and red grapes as protection against fungal infections. Several studies have shown that it is also beneficial to humans, because it may help diabetics, may prevent cancer and fight inflammation. In the December 2007 issue of "Molecular Pharmacology," Narendra Singh wrote about a research study conducted to determine whether resveratrol can also be used to treat autoimmune diseases. In the study, mice were given an autoimmune disease; resveratrol did decrease the number of inflammatory cells and did reduce the symptoms.

Research on Resveratrol

In an article published in the April 2010 issue of the "World Journal of Gastroenterology," Ricardo Moreno-Otero, M.D., wrote that resveratrol is also considered to be an antioxidant; that is, scientists have found that it destroys the substances called free radicals which can cause a lot of damage to the cells. According to Dr. Moreno-Otero, there is a need for further studies on resveratrol, as well as other antioxidants, to further understand their effect on the hepatitis C virus before using them as supplements to treat autoimmune hepatitis and other liver diseases.

Resveratrol and the Immune System

Prakash Nagarkatti wrote in the Spring 2008 issue of the "Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Sciences" that the University of South Carolina received a $6 million grant for five years from the National Institutes of Health to continue a study of resveratrol. The researchers have already determined that resveratrol lowers the amount of proteins that are secreted by the cells of the immune system and may, therefore, be used to treat autoimmune diseases, including autoimmune hepatitis.