Resveratrol Attenuates Subacute Systemic Inflammation-Induced Spatial Memory Impairment via Inhibition of Astrocyte Activation and Enhancement of Synaptophysin Expression in the Hippocampus

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of resveratrol on subacute systemic inflammation-induced dysfunction of cognitive memory in mice and its underlying mechanism. Male ICR mice were trained in a water maze for four days of acquisition training and one day of probe trial. Subacute treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (1 mg/kg) by intraperitoneal injection for 5 days was used to establish a systemic inflammatory model. All mice were sacrificed after probe testing, then the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), synaptophysin, and sirtuin1 (SIRT1) in hippocampi were determined using immunohistochemistry or western blot analysis. Morris water maze tests indicated that hippocampus-dependent spatial learning and memory were impaired in LPS-treated group. Resveratrol attenuated LPS-induced memory deficit in dose-dependent manner. Immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis revealed that LPS increased hippocampal GFAP expression and inhibited synaptophysin expression, which were prevented by resveratrol treatment. Treatment with LPS declined the SIRT1 protein expression in the hippocampus, which could be prevented by resveratrol. The protective effect of resveratrol could be abolished by a specific SIRT1 inhibitor. Our findings add new experimental data for potential therapeutic effects of resveratrol in the brain in a model of subacute systemic inflammation-induced astrocyte activation, synaptic alteration and cognitive decline.

Keywords: Learning and memory; astrocyte; lipopolysaccharides; sirtuin1; synaptophysin.