Effects of resveratrol on learning and memory in rats with vascular dementia

The purpose of the present study was to study the effects of resveratrol on cognitive function in rats with vascular dementia and to investigate the molecular mechanisms of its neuroprotective effects. Forty-five SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: The control group (Con group, n=15), the model group (VD group, n=15) and the resveratrol-treated VD group (Res group, n=15). The VD rats (the VD group and the Res group) were generated by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion. The rats in the Res group received daily resveratrol treatment intraperitoneally for 4 weeks. Cognitive function was tested using the Morris water maze test. The levels of SOD and MDA (oxidative stress indicators) were detected by ELISA kits. The protein expression of Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 was detected by western blotting. Compared with the rats in the Con group, the rats in the VD group exhibited decreased cognitive function, significantly increased hippocampal content of MDA, Bax and caspase-3 (P<0.05), and significantly reduced hippocampal expression of SOD and Bcl-2 (P<0.05). Compared with the rats in the VD group, the rats in the Res group exhibited increased cognitive ability, reduced hippocampal content of MDA, Bax and caspase-3 (P<0.05), and increased hippocampal expression of SOD and Bcl-2 (P<0.05). Resveratrol treatment significantly improved the spatial learning and memory of the VD rats. The mechanism associated with the neuroprotective effects of resveratrol may be closely related to the inhibition of the apoptosis pathway and oxidative stress injury.