Evaluation of the effects of resveratrol on synaptic plasticity in rat hippocampus by immunohistochemical and stereological methods

This study was started after the approval of the Van Ethics Committee of Animal Experiments of the Faculty of Medicine of Van Yuzuncu Yıl University. For this purpose, the effects of resveratrol, which is a neuroprotective agent, on the synapse and neuron density were examined immunuhistochemically and stereologically. In the study conducted in Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Experimental Medicine Application and Research Center, twelve male rats were used in two groups; mean Wistar-Albino species six in each group. Resveratrol (20mg/kg/day) dissolved in saline was given orally by gavage to the first group and SF gavage alone as the control group. At the end of the week, rats were removed under anesthesia for one day in a thirty persent sucrose solution and a twenty persent sucrose was removed until the tissues settled to the bottom. Subsequently, the tissues were embedded in cryomatrix and consecutive sections of 4µm thickness were placed on the slides in the cryostate whose working temperature was adjusted to -20 0C. Rats were prepared in two series with systematic random sampling at each 400 µm interval and each containing an average of five sections. Stained with hematoksilen eosine. Unbias counting frame suitable for dissector counting was used. Numerical density was calculated in the neuron count by physical dissector method. Synaptophysin and synapse marker were used immunohistochemically. Preparations were evaluated by light microscopy. Mann-Whitney U test was used as the statistical program for comparison between the groups. The immunohistochemical reaction of the synaptophysis was observed to be relatively dark stained compared to the control group. No statistically significant difference was observed in the number of granular neurons intergroup (p<0,05). The results were discussed in the light of literature knowledge.