Neuroprotective Effect of Resveratrol via Sirtuin 1 Pathway in a Rat Model of Chronic Ocular Hypertension

Several optic neuropathies, including glaucoma, lead to optic nerve axonal damage and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss via apoptosis.1 Glaucomatous optic neuropathy is characterized by progressive axonal damage in the optic nerve head, which progresses to RGC death and visual field deficits.2 Since recognition of the promising role for silent information regulators in the longevity of Caenorhabditis elegans, many studies have focused on the cellular mechanisms underlying sirtuins.3 Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)+-dependent histone deacetylase, which is linked to cellular stress responses and survival functions including metabolic control, DNA repair, inflammation, apoptosis, and neuroprotection.4,5 Studies conducted to date indicate that SIRT1 contributes to neuroprotection during ischemia and in the neurodegenerative diseases.[6][7][8] SIRT1 overexpression by resveratrol pretreatment mediates delayed neuronal death following cerebral ischemic damage in rats.9 In contrast, inhibition of SIRT1 increases cortical