Primary objective: To study the protective effect of resveratrol on endotoxemia-induced neurotoxicity.
Methods: Rats were pre-treated during 7 days with 20 mg kg(-1) body weight (b.w.) resveratrol and challenged with a single dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS: 8 mg kg(-1) b.w.) for 24 hours. Brains were harvested to determine LPS-induced lipoperoxidation level, antioxidant enzyme activities, nitric monoxide (NO) and iron distribution as well as the impact of resveratrol on these parameters.
Results: Resveratrol counteracted LPS-induced brain malondialdehyde (MDA) level and antioxidant enzyme activities depletion as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD). Resveratrol also reversed LPS-induced brain and plasma NO elevation as well as iron sequestration from plasma to brain compartment.
Conclusion: The data suggest that resveratrol is capable of alleviating LPS-induced neurotoxicity by a mechanism that may involve iron shuttling proteins.