In Diabetic Aged Female Rats, Resveratrol Supplementation Prevents Retinal Tissue Damage By Increasing Antioxidant Activity Through SIRT1 Gene Expression.

INTRODUCTION: The present study was carried out to investigate how resveratrol administration affects retinal SIRT1 levels and retinal tissue damage in diabetic elderly female rats. METHODS: A total of 24 elderly female rats were divided equally into 4 groups (G): G1, Control; G2, Control + Resveratrol; G3, Diabetes; G4, Diabetes + Resveratrol. Experimental diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) in G3 and G4. The G2 and G4 were given intraperitoneal (ip) resveratrol (5 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks in addition to the normal diet. After 4-weeks of resveratrol treatment, Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) gene expression and malondialdehyde (MDA) ve glutathione (GSH) levels were determined by PCR and ELISA, respectively, in retinal tissue samples of the animals. RESULTS: The highest retinal MDA values were in the diabetes group (G3), the highest retinal GSH levels were in the Diabetes + Resveratrol group (G4). The retinal MDA and GSH levels of the other groups were not different from each other. The highest retinal SIRT1 expression values were in the Diabetes + Resveratrol (G4) group. The retinal SIRT1 expression values of the diabetes group (G3) were lower than G4, and higher than the G1 and G2. Retinal SIRT1 expression values of the G1 and G2 were not different from each other. CONCLUSION: Resveratrol supplementation prevented retinal tissue damage that occurs in diabetic-aged female rats. This antidiabetic effect of resveratrol supplementation occurs by increasing both antioxidant activity and SIRT1 expression in diabetic-aged rats.