Pharmacological Activation and Transgenic Overexpression of SIRT1 Attenuate Traumatic Optic Neuropathy Induced by Blunt Head Impact

Intranasal RSV is effective in preserving visual function in WT mice following TBI. Constitutive overexpression of SIRT1 recapitulates the neuroprotective effect of RSV. Translational relevance: Results support future exploration of RSV as a potential therapy for indirect traumatic optic neuropathy.

An electromagnetic stereotaxic impactor device was used to impart five traumatic skull impacts with an inter-concussion interval of 48 hours to wild type (WT) and SIRT1 knock in (KI) C57BL/6J mice overexpressing the SIRT1 gene. A cohort of WT mice also received intranasal administration of RSV (16 mg/kg) throughout the experimental period. Loss of righting reflex (RR), optokinetic response (OKR) scores, and immunolabeled RGC count are determined to assess optic neuropathy in this model of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Resveratrol (RSV) is a nutraceutical compound known for its therapeutic potential in neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases. RSV promotes survival signals in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) through activation of SIRT1, an NAD+-dependent deacetylase. RSV and SIRT1 reduce RGC loss induced by direct optic nerve injury, but effects in indirect models of traumatic optic neuropathy remain unknown and are examined in this study.

TBI significantly decreases RGC survival and decreases OKR scores compared with control uninjured mice. Either RSV administration in WT mice, or SIRT1 overexpression in SIRT1 KI mice, significantly increases RGC survival and improves OKR scores. RR time increases after the first few impacts in all groups of mice subjected to TBI, demonstrating that RSV and SIRT1 overexpression are able to attenuate optic neuropathy following similar degrees of TBI. Conclusions: Intranasal RSV is effective in preserving visual function in WT mice following TBI. Constitutive overexpression of SIRT1 recapitulates the neuroprotective effect of RSV. Translational relevance: Results support future exploration of RSV as a potential therapy for indirect traumatic optic neuropathy.