title: Neuroprotective effects of uridine in a rat model of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
abstract: Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a major cause of neurological disability requiring newer therapeutic strategies. Uridine is the principal circulating pyrimidine in humans and a substrate for nucleotides and membrane phospholipids. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of uridine in a neonatal rat model of HIE. Rat pups subjected to hypoxic-ischemic insult on postnatal day 7 were injected intraperitoneally with either saline or uridine (100, 300 or 500mg/kg) for three consecutive days and brains were collected for evaluation of brain infarct volume and apoptosis. Compared with Control group, uridine at 300 and 500mg/kg doses significantly reduced percent infarct volume, TUNEL(+) cell ratio and active Caspase-3 immunoreactivity in the cortex, as well as in CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus. Uridine (300 and 500mg/kg) also decreased active Caspase-3 expression in the ipsilateral hemisphere. These data indicate that uridine dose-dependently reduces brain injury in a rat model of neonatal HIE by decreasing apoptosis.
authors: Uludag University Medical School, Department of Pharmacology, Turkey.
authors: Mehmet
authors: M
authors: Cansev
authors: Zehra
authors: Z
authors: Minbay
authors: Bulent
authors: B
authors: Goren
authors: Esra Orenlili
authors: EO
authors: Yaylagul
authors: Merih
authors: M
authors: Cetinkaya
authors: Nilgun
authors: N
authors: Koksal
authors: Tulin
authors: T
authors: Alkan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014529:Uridine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D053148:Caspase 3; D014529:Uridine