The effect of resveratrol on intimal hyperplasia and endothelial proliferation of rabbit carotid artery anastomosis

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the effect of resveratrol on intimal hyperplasia and endothelial proliferation after its use for carotid artery anastomosis in rabbits. METHODS: Fourteen New Zealand-type male rabbits, weighing a mean of 2–3 kg were selected randomly. Their right carotid arteries were transected and anastomosed side by side using 8/0 polypropylene. The rabbits were divided into two groups with seven in each group. While the rabbits in the first group were accepted as the Control group, the rabbits in the second group were given resveratrol (1 mg/kg/day) for 14 days intravenously. At the end of the 28th day, all the carotid artery segments that were transected and anastomosed and the left carotid arteries that did not undergo surgery were removed and evaluated histologically. RESULTS: The results of histological evaluation were as follows: lumen diameter (P<0.001) and lumen area (P<0.05) of the Resveratrol group were larger than those of the Control group, intimal thickness (P<0.05) and media thickness of the Resveratrol group (P= 0.04) were thinner than those of the Control group, and intima/media ratio of the Control group was found to be greater than that of the Resveratrol group (P= 0.002).