title: Neuroprotective effects of growth hormone against hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in neonatal rats: 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopic study.
abstract: Using 1H-MRS, we evaluated the effects of growth hormone (GH) as a caspase inhibitor on hypoxic-ischemic injury in neonatal rat brains. The right common carotid arteries of rats were ligated, allowed to recover for 3 hr, and exposed to 8% oxygen for 2 hr. GH was given just prior to HI insult and animals were divided into four groups: control, intracerebroventricular (ICV), intracerebroventricular/intraperitoneal (ICV/IP), and intraperitoneal (IP). Localized in vivo 1H-MRS and TUNEL staining were performed 24 hr after HI injury. Lipid/N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and lipid/creatine (Cr) ratios were used as apoptotic markers. Gross morphologic changes at 2 weeks were used to evaluate the effects of GH. The lipid/NAA ratio was lower in the ICV and ICV/IP groups than in the control, and the lipid/Cr ratio was lower in the ICV group than in the control. The number of TUNEL positive cells was decreased in the ICV and ICV/IP groups, and the degree of morphologic change indicative of brain injury was lower in the ICV group and somewhat lower in the ICV/IP group. The degree of morphologic change correlated with the lipid/NAA and lipid/Cr ratios. These findings suggest that GH exerts neuroprotective effects in cerebral hypoxic-ischemic injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Tai Ryoon
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Min Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Dae Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Ki-Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Keun Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Hee Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D003404:Creatinine / Q000032:analysis; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D013006:Growth Hormone; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003404:Creatinine