Hyperbaric oxygenation prevented brain injury induced by hypoxia-ischemia in a neonatal rat model.
The occurrence of hypoxia-ischemia (HI) during early fetal or neonatal stages of an individual leads to the damaging of immature neurons resulting in behavioral and psychological dysfunctions, such as motor or learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, epilepsy or even death. No effective treatment is currently available and this study is the first to use hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) as a treatment for neonatal HI. Herein, we sought out to determine if HBO is able to offer neuroprotectivity against an HI insult. Seven-day-old rat pups were subjected to unilateral carotid artery ligation followed by 2.5 h of hypoxia (8% O(2) at 37 degrees C). HBO treatment was administered by placing pups in a chamber (3 ATA for 1 h) 1 h after hypoxia exposure. Brain injury was assessed based on ipsilateral hemispheric weight divided by contralateral hemispheric weight, light microscopy, and EM. Sensorimotor functional tests were administered at 5 weeks after hypoxia exposure. After HI, the ipsilateral hemisphere was 52.65 and 57.64% (P<0.001) of the contralateral hemisphere at 2 and 6 weeks, respectively. In HBO treated groups, the ipsilateral hemisphere was 77.77 and 84.19% (P<0.001) at 2 and 6 weeks. There was much less atrophy and apoptosis in HBO treated animals under light or electron microscopy. Sensorimotor function was also improved by HBO at 5 weeks after hypoxia exposure (Chi-square, P<0.050). The results suggest that HBO is able to attenuate the effects of HI on the neonatal brain by reducing the progression of neuronal injury and increasing sensorimotor function.
Calvert
John W
JW
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA.
Yin
Wei
W
Patel
Mona
M
Badr
Ahmed
A
Mychaskiw
George
G
Parent
Andrew D
AD
Zhang
John H
JH
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome