Abstract
Objective Neonatal rats with hyperoxia-induced brain injury were treated with resveratrol to
investigate its protective effects through analyzing changes in reactive oxygen species
(ROS), Sirt1, p53, and acetylated p53 levels.
Study Design Neonatal rats were randomly divided into hyperoxia and resveratrol intervened groups.
Rats in both groups were placed in a hyperoxia chamber for 7 days to induce hyperoxia-induced
brain injury. The rats in the resveratrol intervened group were administered resveratrol
60 μg/g body weight daily, whereas those in the hyperoxia group were administered
a dimethyl sulfoxide-based solvent. Brain tissues were collected, and hematoxylin
and eosin (H&E) and TUNEL staining, ROS measurements, real time-polymerase chain reaction,
and western blotting were performed.
Results H&E and TUNEL staining revealed increased cell damage and apoptosis in brain tissue
from hyperoxia-exposed animals compared with the findings in animals in the resveratrol
intervened group. Real time-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting identified
increases in Sirt1 expression and decreases in p53 expression in the resveratrol intervened
group. In addition, acetylated p53 protein expression was lower in the intervened
group than in the hyperoxia group.
Conclusion Resveratrol alleviated brain apoptosis induced by hyperoxia in neonatal rats by upregulating
Sirt1-mediated pathways, suggesting its potentially beneficial role in the treatment
of brain injury induced by hyperoxia.
Keywords
Sirt1 - hyperoxia - brain injury - resveratrol
