FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Resveratrol, the compound in red wine that previous research has linked to longevity, has shown promise in an animal model of multiple sclerosis.
Mice with the MS-like condition called Wallerian degeneration slow (WldS) showed an initial weight gain when given resveratrol, researchers at the University of Utah reported Thursday at the World Congress on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, in Montreal.
The weight gain occurred in the first two weeks of treatment. A microscopic study of nerve cell tissue at five weeks did not show any positive effect.
"They didn't look at the tissue under the microscope in the first two weeks," said Dr. John Richert, executive vice president for the research and clinical program of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. "Obviously, lots of things can make animals gain weight."