• Bei Wang, Shengjin Ge, Wanxia Xiong, and Zhanggang Xue.
• Department of Anesthesia, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
• BMC Anesthesiol. 2018 Oct 10; 18 (1): 141.

BackgroundPostoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) seriously reduces quality of life and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The causes and neuropathogenesis of POCD remain largely unknown. Resveratrol, a sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) activator, is a polyphenol compound found in red wine that has protective functions in neuropathology paradigms. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) is a primary cellular response that activates the unfolded protein response (UPR). ERS and UPR mediate molecular and biochemical mechanisms related to neurodegeneration; however, the roles of ERS and Sirt1 in POCD remain unclear. The properties of resveratrol might be useful in the setting of POCD.MethodsIn the present study, we investigated learning and memory function and ERS pathways in aged mice after surgery under local anesthesia, and we evaluated the effects of resveratrol pretreatment.ResultsWe found that resveratrol attenuated postoperative learning and memory impairment in aged mice postoperatively but did not alter locomotor activity. Resveratrol significantly decreased postoperative expression of ERS pathway UPR-related proteins and inflammatory mediators including nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in the hippocampus. This was accompanied by higher Sirt1 protein expression levels. Pretreatment with resveratrol did not affect the number of hippocampal neurons in aged mice after surgery.ConclusionOverall, resveratrol pretreatment attenuated short-term learning and memory impairment and the ERS pathway UPR in aged mice after surgery under local anesthesia.

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