Resveratrol protects hippocampal neurons against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury via modulating JAK/ERK/STAT signaling pathway in rats

Abstract

Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R injury) can cause neuronal deficits even death. Recent studies demonstrated that resveratrol (RSV) exerts neuroprotective effects in ischemia and several signaling pathways were involved in the process. However, it is still possible that other signaling pathway participates in the neuronal protective process. Our study examines the possible mechanism underlying RSV treatment. We randomly divided rats into four groups: the sham group, I/R group, I/R group, I/R+RSV group, I/R+vehicle group. Locomotive and cognitive behavior were utilized by open-field and closed-field test and Morris water maze test. Neuronal cell loss was measured by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining for hippocampus. Western blot was applied to measure the level of p-JAK, p-ERK, p-STAT and p-JNK. The results indicated that RSV could alleviate cognitive impairment, reduce neuronal loss, downregulate p-JAK, p-ERK, p-STAT and p-JNK expression and inflammatory cytokines. In summary, resveratrol protects hippocampal neurons against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury via modulating JAK/ERK/STAT signaling pathway in rats.

Keywords: Cerebral ischemia; Cognitive function; JAK/ERK/STAT signaling pathway; Resveratrol.