Acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) is a serious disease with severe neurological sequelae. The intense calcium-mediated microglial activation and subsequently pro-inflammatory cytokine release plays an important role in eliciting ABM-related oxidative damage.
Considering resveratrol possesses significant anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties, the present study aims to determine whether resveratrol would exert beneficial effects on hippocampal neurons following ABM.
In ABM rats, strong calcium signaling associated with enhanced microglial activation was observed in hippocampus. Increased microglial expression was coincided with intense production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative damage.
However, in rats receiving resveratrol after ABM, the calcium intensity, microglial activation, pro-inflammatory cytokine and MDA levels were all significantly decreased.
Quantitative data showed that much more hippocampal neurons were survived in resveratrol-treated rats following ABM.
[T]herapeutic use of resveratrol may act as a promising strategy to counteract the ABM-induced neurological damage.