MODULATORY ROLE OF RESVERATROL-INDUCED DIETARY RESTRICTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT ON NEUROBEHAVIOURAL OUTCOME IN YOUNG HEALTHY MICE

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Department of Medicine

ABSTRACT
Dietary Restriction (DR) otherwise known as Caloric Restriction (CR) has been generally defined as consumption of nutritious diet that is 30% to 40% less in calories compared to ad libitum diet while Environmental Enrichment (EE) is defined as a sustained and progressive increase in cognitive and sensorimotor stimuli with aggregated voluntary physical activity and complex social interactions. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the modulatory role of Resveratrol induced CR and EE on neurobehavioural responses in young healthy mice. Twenty five mice of both sexes were divided into five groups of 5 animals each: group I served as the control and received carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) 50 mg per kg/day orally, group II animals were maintained on every other day feeding, group III animals received Resveratrol 50 mg/kg, suspended in 10 g/L of (CMC) orally per kg/day. Group IV animals received CMC and kept in an Enriched Environment while group V animals received Resveratrol 50 mg/kg and kept in an Enriched Environment. The treatment lasted for the period of four weeks. On day 26, 27 and 28 of the study period, the animals were subjected to neurobehavioural evaluation of motor coordination, motor strength, learning and memory. Brain and plasma samples were evaluated for lipid profile, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes. The results showed significant increase (P < 0.05) in the transfer latency (acquisition) in the every other day feeding group (69.20 ± 9.03 seconds) compared to the control group (36.80 ± 5.58 seconds). A significant increase (P <0.05) was observed in the concentration of low density lipoprotein (LDL) in every other day feeding group (1.72 ± 0.12 mg/dl) and environmental enrichment treatment group (1.73 ± 0.16 mg/dl) when compared to the control group (1.11 ± 0.07 mg/dl). The results obtained also showed significant decrease < 0.05) in MDA concentration in the Resveratrol treatment group kept in EE (1.50 ± 0.05 IU/L) compared to the control (1.84 ± 0.09 IU/L) and GPx activity in the Resveratrol treatment group kept in EE (41.00 ± 2.02 IU/L) compared to the control (59.00 ± 2.85 IU/L). In conclusion, the results obtained demonstrated that Resveratrol induced CR and EE have no effects on neurobehavioural responses coupled with some significant alterations in lipid profile, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in young healthy mice over a period of four weeks.