title: Preconditioning and the developing brain.
abstract: Preconditioning occurs when a subinjurious exposure renders the brain less vulnerable to a subsequent damaging exposure. In this essay, various models of preconditioning in the immature brain are discussed. Adenosine, excitatory amino acids, nitric oxide, hypoxia-inducible factor, ATP-sensitive K+ channels, caspases, heat shock proteins, inflammatory mediators and gene expression all seem to be involved in sensing, transducing and executing preconditioning resistance. Also reviewed in this essay is evidence that some subinjurious exposures render the brain more vulnerable to a subsequent damaging exposure. We believe that unraveling the mechanisms of how the developing brain becomes inherently resilient or vulnerable will offer important insights into the pathogenesis of injury. Preconditioning of the brain or induction of tolerance of the immune system might be utilized in the future to decrease CNS vulnerability and the occurrence of perinatal brain injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Women's and Children's Health, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden. henrik.hagberg@obgyn.gu.se
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hagberg
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dammann
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mallard
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leviton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000503:physiopathology; D004361:Drug Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D006803:Human Development / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*; D019194:Ischemic Preconditioning; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction