Evaluation of Behavioral Effects of Trans-Resveratrol in the Hemi-Parkinsonian Rat Model

Purpose: The motor control deficits exhibited with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are particularly well documented for sequencing tasks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective potential of trans-resveratrol administration in an experimental model of PD. Materials and Methods: 1 week before (baseline) the surgery rats were tested with systemic apomorphine (0.5 mg/kg i.p.) to evaluate the behavioral effect of the nigrostriatal lesion (turning behavior). The number of full rotations performed by the animals was registered at 10-min intervals for 60 min starting 1 min after apomorphine injection. The same procedure was repeated after 14 days post lesioning by 6-OHDA in the left striatum. Rotational response was expressed as the number of net full (360°) turns per hour. The number of contralateral rotations was counted as positive scores for apomorphine. Net number of rotations was defined as the positive scores minus the negative scores. Results: There were no significant differences among the groups at baseline (before surgery). Statistical analysis of the total net number of rotations made over a 60-min period 2 weeks after the surgery showed that apomorphine caused a very significant contralateral turning in the rats of the L group (P<0.001) and induced less significant rotations in the L+RSV group (P<0.05) in comparison with the SH group. Moreover, the group L+RSV showed a significant reduction of rotations (P<0.001) when compared with the L group. Conclusion: In conclusion, administration of trans-resveratrol effectively counteracted progressive degeneration of nigrostriatal neurons caused by intrastriatal injection of 6-OHDA, thus lending further support to the neuroprotective potential of the drug.