Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is associated with increased levels of
reactive oxygen species (ROS) and
brain edema, which lead to the deterioration of patient prognosis.
Resveratrol serves a neuroprotective role in I/R injury, and this role may be associated with its anti‑oxidative effects. However,
resveratrol's mechanism of action in cerebral I/R injury remains to be fully understood. In order to investigate the effect of
resveratrol in cerebral I/R‑induced injury, male Sprague‑Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups: The sham‑operation group, the I/R group and the
edaravone and
resveratrol groups (I/R + E and I/R + R groups).
Infarct volume was evaluated by 2,3,5‑tripenyltetrazolium
chloride staining,
brain edema was evaluated by the water content in the reperfused brain and
malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured by the
thiobarbituric acid method.
Superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were measured using the Total
Superoxide Dismutase Assay kit.
Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) levels in the hippocampus and cortex were measured by ELISA, and
aquaporin 4 (AQP4) expression was measured by immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that
resveratrol reduced the
infarct volume and the incidence of
brain edema and reduced neurological deficits. These outcomes were accompanied by reduced levels of MDA, iNOS and AQP4, and increased SOD levels in cerebral I/R injury. In conclusion,
resveratrol protected against cerebral I/R injury by ameliorating oxidative stress and reducing AQP4 expression.