Main Resveratrol Action Mechanisms in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disorder of bone tissue that affects a large part of the population and is related to great morbidity and health spending due to osteoporotic fractures. Among its various types, postmenopausal osteoporosis, related to estrogen deficiency, does not have very satisfactory treatments, since Hormone Replacement Therapy can present harmful effects when used in the long term or in individual specific conditions. In the search for alternative treatments, resveratrol (3,5,4’-trihydroxystilbene), a polyphenol found mainly in grape, emerges as a potential agent, because it’s similarity to diethylstilbestrol, a synthetic estrogen. Among its many effects, it has the capacity to act as a cardioprotector and on the bone tissue. In vitro and in vivo studies indicate that it can protect against the characteristic damages of osteoporosis, mainly in the decrease of the bone mineral density and deterioration of the trabecular microarchitecture of the bone, important factors for the resistance to fractures. Although the mechanisms of action of resveratrol on bone tissue have not yet been fully elucidated, the literature demonstrates that it can interfere with the responsible cells for bone remodeling directly or indirectly, stimulating formation and decreasing bone resorption. With this, we can consider resveratrol a substance capable of treating or preventing damage from postmenopausal osteoporosis. However, further studies involving its antioxidant function and bone tissue may support such a function, allowing the evolution of studies for clinical trials involving postmenopausal osteoporosis.