Resveratrol reduces the elevated level of MMP-9 induced by cerebral ischemia–reperfusion in mice

• Published in: Life sciences (1973) 2006-04, Vol.78 (22), p.2564-2570
• Main Authors: Gao, Dakuan, Zhang, Xiang, Jiang, Xiaofan, Peng, Yabin, Huang, Weidong, Cheng, Guang, Song, Lei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Brain; Cerebral Cortex - drug effects; Cerebral Cortex - metabolism; Cerebral Cortex - pathology; Disease Models, Animal; Gene Expression; Ischemic Attack, Transient - drug therapy; Ischemic Attack, Transient - metabolism; Ischemic Attack, Transient - pathology; Male; Matrix metalloproteinase 9; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 - genetics; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 - metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Neuroprotective Agents - therapeutic use; Reperfusion Injury - pathology; Reperfusion Injury - prevention & control; Resveratrol; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Stilbenes - therapeutic use; Stroke; Stroke - drug therapy; Stroke - metabolism; Stroke - pathology
• ISSN: 0024-3205; 1879-0631
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2005.10.030

Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality; however, its treatment remains obscure and largely empirical. Since matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) has been postulated to be the major contributor of neuronal injury during reperfusion, inhibition of MMP-9 could be a potential approach in maintaining the viability of neurons. Trans-resveratrol (resveratrol), a polyphenolic compound has recently been shown to have neuroprotective activity against cerebral ischemia. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of resveratrol on MMP-9 induced by cerebral ischemia–reperfusion in vivo. Male Balb/C mice were treated with resveratrol for 7 days (50 mg/kg, gavage). Thereafter, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) was performed for 2 h with the help of intraluminal thread. Drug-treated mice showed improvement in necrotic changes in cortex and basal ganglia. Detection of MMP-9 activity and gene expression was performed at various time points after MCAo. The elevated levels of MMP-9 were significantly attenuated in the resveratrol-treated mice as compared to the vehicle MCAo mice. The study suggests that resveratrol has protective effects against acute ischemic stroke, which could be attributed to its property against MMP-9. Thus, resveratrol may be a potential agent for the treatment of neuronal injury associated with stroke.