Optical Monitoring of the Therapeutic Effects of Resveratrol on Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Using Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy.

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), which precipitates during parturition, causes severe neurological sequelae in the neonate. We have previously reported an optical monitoring system based on diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to evaluate brain tissue damage that precedes HIE. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of resveratrol on the suppression of HIE development using this monitoring system. After left carotid artery ligation, neonatal rats were intraperitoneally injected with 20 or 40 mg/kg resveratrol and subjected to hypoxic stress. HIE lesions were assessed after 24 h using triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining. HIE developed in the non-treated group and the group treated with 20 mg/kg administration. Optical parameter assessment during hypoxic stress revealed that HIE-induced brain damage was characterized by a decrease in scatter amplitude, an increase in total hemoglobin in the cerebral blood flow, and a reduction in tissue oxygen saturation. HIE development was completely suppressed in the 40 mg/kg group, in which the changes in the optical parameters were also suppressed. These findings suggest that resveratrol exerts protective effects against HIE by enhancing oxygen supply to the brain. Resveratrol administration could be a promising approach for preventing neonatal HIE.