The Role of Glucose Concentration and Resveratrol in Modulating Neuroinflammatory Cytokines: Insights from an In Vitro Blood–Brain Barrier Model

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus is rising, presumably because of a coexisting pandemic of obesity. Since diabetic neuropathy and neuroinflammation are frequent and significant complications of both prolonged hyperglycemia and iatrogenic hypoglycemia, the effect of glucose concentration and resveratrol (RSV) supplementation on cytokine profile was assessed in an in vitro model of the blood–brain barrier (BBB). MATERIAL/METHODS: The in vitro model of BBB was formed of endothelial cells and astrocytes, which represented the microvascular and brain compartments (MC and BC, respectively). The BC concentrations of selected cytokines – IL-10, IL-12, IL-17A, TNF-α, IFN-γ, GM-CSF in response to different glucose concentrations in the MC were studied. The influence of LPS in the BC and RSV in the MC on the cytokine profile in the BC was examined. RESULTS: Low glucose concentration (40 mg/dL) in the MC resulted in increased concentration of all the cytokines in the BC except TNF-α, compared to normoglycemia-imitating conditions (90 mg/dL) (P<0.05). High glucose concentration (450 mg/dL) in the MC elevated the concentration of all the cytokines in the BC (P<0.05). RSV decreased the level of all cytokines in the BC after 24 h following its administration for all glucose concentrations in the MC (P<0.02). The greatest decline was observed in normoglycemic conditions (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both hypo- and hyperglycemia-simulating conditions impair the cytokine profile in BC, while RSV can normalize it, despite relatively poor penetration through the BBB. RSV exhibits anti-neuroinflammatory effects, especially in the group with normoglycemia-simulating conditions.