This study investigated if resveratrol (RES) can protect against cadmium chloride (CdCl2)-induced memory loss and Tau protein hyperphosphorylation in rats and explored its effect on AMPK/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Rats (n = 10/group) were divided into seven groups as: control; control + DMSO; control + LY294002, a selective PI3K inhibitor (0.25 µg/100 g, i.p); control + RES (300 mg/kg, orally); CdCl2 (5 mg/kg, orally); CdCl2 + RES and CdCl2 + RES + LY294002. All treatments were carried out for 30 consecutive days on a daily basis. RES improved both short and long-term memory as analyzed by novel object recognition task and significantly increased brain levels of glutathione in both control and CdCl2-treated rats. It also inhibited ROS levels of malondialdehyde in the brains of CdCl2-treated rats. In both groups, RES decreased the phosphorylation rate of Tau at Ser199 and Ser296. Concomitantly, it significantly increased protein levels of p-GSK3β (Ser9) and p-PP2A and decreased p-GSK3β (Tyr216). Also, RES activated PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in both control and CdCl2 treated rats by increasing levels of p-PI3K (Tyr607) and p-Akt (Ser473). This was concomitant with significant increase in the levels of AMPK and p-AMPK, known upstream regulators of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Interestingly, all the above listed beneficial effects of RES, except their effect on AMPK/p-AMPK, were completely abolished in CdCl2 + RES + LY294002-treated rats. In conclusion, in addition to its antioxidant potential, RES inhibits Tau phosphorylation in rat's brain by activating PP2A protein and AMPK/PI3K/Akt-induced inhibition of GSK3β.
Keywords: Brain; Cadmium; Memory, PI3K/Akt; Resveratrol; Tau.