The Polyphenol Resveratrol Alters Sphingolipid Metabolites in SW480 Colorectal Carcinoma Cells in a Specific Way

Abstract

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring polyphenol exhibiting various beneficial effects, such as anti-tumour, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. The anti-cancer activity of resveratrol is related to alterations in specific sphingolipid metabolites. In this work we used SW480 colorectal carcinoma cells to analyze the effect of resveratrol on key sphingolipids, as well as on sphingolipid-metabolizing enzymes. Our findings show that resveratrol treatment of colorectal tumour cells, unlike other tumour cells, induces elevation in the main pro-apoptotic factor ceramide, whereas no significant changes were observed in the proliferation-supporting sphingolipid sphingosine-1 phosphate as well as in the enzyme maintaining its level. The presented data will contribute to a better understanding of the effect of phytoalexins on the regulation of sphingolipid metabolism and may serve as a basis for developing complex anti-cancer therapeutic approaches involving natural antitumour and antioxidant agents, such as polyphenols.