Resveratrol Attenuates Behavioral Impairments and Reduces Cortical and Hippocampal Loss in a Rat Controlled Cortical Impact Model of Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract

Resveratrol (3,5,4 0 -trihydroxystilbene) is a plant-derived small molecule that is protective against multiple neurological and systemic insults. To date, no studies have explored the potential for resveratrol to provide behavioral protection in adult animals in the setting of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Using 50 male Sprague-Dawley rats, we employed the controlled cortical impact (CCI) model to ascertain whether post-injury administration of resveratrol would reduce the severity of the well-described cognitive and motor deficits associated with the model. Contusion volumes and hippocampal neuronal numbers were also measured to characterize the tissue and neuronal-sparing properties, respectively, of resveratrol. We found that 100 mg/kg, but not 10 mg/kg, of intraperitoneal resveratrol administered after injury provides significant behavioral protection in rats sustaining CCI. Specifically, rodents treated with 100 mg/kg of resveratrol showed improvements in motor performance (beam balance and beam walking) and testing of visuospatial memory (Morris water maze). Behavioral protection was correlated with significantly reduced contusion volumes, preservation of CA1 and CA3 hippocampal neurons, and protection from overt hippocampal loss as a result of incorporation into the overlying cortical contusion in resveratrol-treated animals. Although the mechanisms by which resveratrol mediates its neuroprotection is unclear, the current study adds to the growing literature identifying resveratrol as a potential therapy for human brain injury.

Dose- and Time-Dependent Neuroprotective Effects of Pycnogenol® following Traumatic Brain Injury

“…21,[34][35][36][37] Bioflavonoids have the ability not only to reduce inflammation, brain edema, and neuronal death, 29,[38][39][40][41][42][43] but can improve both motor and cognitive function in rodents after TBI. 35,36,40,41,44,45 PYC has the unique characteristic of providing a multifaceted approach of neuroprotection, demonstrated by the fact it reduced inflammation, decreased oxidative damage, and spared synaptic proteins in the brain following TBI. 24,46 The neuroprotective effects of PYC are likely more than free radical quenching.…”

Can Soy Diet be Protective in Severe and Diffuse Traumatic Brain Injury?

“…The preventive effect of soy on the neurologic outcome post-trauma was indicated on the trauma day, and days post-TBI. The improvement of neurologic outcome by genistein has been reported in a model of ischemia in mice [54]. The isoflavones of dietary soy have improved stroke outcome in male rats following ischemia [20,[55][56][57].…”

Antioxidant therapies in traumatic brain injury: a review

“…Some studies have also found that traumatic brain injury (TBI) in both adult and immature animals is amenable to treatment with resveratrol (52,55). In rat traumatic brain injury, a single high dose of resveratrol (100 mg/kg) administerd immediately after trauma reduced brain edema and oxidative stress, and attenuated brain pathology 14 days later (49).…”