Resveratrol protects spatial learning in middle-aged C57BL/6 mice from effects of ethanol.
Spatial learning and memory have been shown to be especially vulnerable to aging and alcohol consumption. However, moderate consumption of wine has been linked to decreases in incidences of dementia. Resveratrol, a phytoestrogen found in wine, has been shown to have neuroprotective effects against the oxidative stress of ethanol. In this study, middle-aged C57BL/6N female mice given a combination of resveratrol (44.2 mg/kg) and a low amount of ethanol (0.71 g/kg) each day for 6 weeks performed better on the Barnes maze task for spatial learning and memory than mice consuming only the low concentration of ethanol. The results suggest that resveratrol may protect hippocampal-dependent spatial learning from the negative effects of ethanol. However, the resveratrol-ethanol combination did not provide any additional benefit to counter aging-related deficits.
Ranney
Alyssa
A
Department of Psychology, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, Nebraska 68504, USA.
Petro
Marilyn S
MS
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D000077185:Resveratrol; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects*; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000975:Antioxidants; D013267:Stilbenes; D000431:Ethanol; D000077185:Resveratrol