A Comparison of Resveratrol and Vitamin C Therapy on Expression of BDNF in Stressed Rat Brain Homogenate

Abstract

Prolonged exposure to stress results in neuronal loss, which is associated with depletion of Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in rat brain. Resveratrol, an antioxidant is known to exert neuroprotective effect in both human and animal models. Vitamin C too has important anti-oxidant properties, and protects cells against oxidative stress. In the present study we have evaluated the effect of resveratrol and vitamin C on BDNF expression in stressed rat brain homogenate. Rats were treated with 10 or 20mg/kg body weight dose of resveratrol and 100 or 200mg/kg body weight dose of vitamin C for a period of 28 days, beginning one week prior to stress treatment (restraint stress for 6 hours daily for 21 days). Rats were sacrificed after stress treatment and the whole brain BDNF level was estimated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Our study confirms the neuroprotective effects of resveratrol by enhanced BDNF level in stressed rats. Though vitamin C has enhanced the BDNF expression in stressed rats interestingly it had an adverse effect when treated alone.