title: DHA Reduces Oxidative Stress after Perinatal Asphyxia: A Study in Newborn Piglets.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Perinatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage is a major cause of acute mortality and chronic neurological morbidity in infants and children. Oxidative stress due to free radical formation and the initiation of abnormal oxidative reactions appears to play a key role. Docosahexanoic acid (DHA), a main component of brain membrane phospholipids, may act as a neuroprotectant after hypoxia-ischemia by regulating multiple molecular pathways and gene expression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to test the hypothesis that DHA provides significant protection against lipoperoxidation damage in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus in a neonatal piglet model of severe hypoxia-reoxygenation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Newborn piglets, Noroc (LYLD), were subjected to severe global hypoxia. One group was resuscitated with ambient air (21% group, n = 11) and another also received 5 mg/kg of DHA 4 h after the end of hypoxia (21% DHA group, n = 10). After 9.5 h, tissues from the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were sampled and the levels of isoprostanes, neuroprostanes, neurofurans, and F2-dihomo-isoprostanes were determined by the liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lipid peroxidation biomarkers were significantly lower in both the cortex and hippocampus in the DHA-treated group compared with the untreated group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study demonstrates that DHA administration after severe hypoxia in newborn piglets has an antioxidative effect in the brain, suggesting a protective potential of DHA if given after injuries to the brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Research, University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Rønnaug
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Solberg
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Longini
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Proietti
authors.forename: Serafina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perrone
authors.forename: Cosetta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Felici
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Porta
authors.forename: Ola Didrik
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Saugstad
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buonocore
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005663:Furans / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D028421:Isoprostanes / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D058632:Neuroprostanes / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D034421:Sus scrofa
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D005663:Furans; D028421:Isoprostanes; D058632:Neuroprostanes; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids
keywords: Brain injury; Docosahexanoic acid; Lipid metabolism; Newborn infant; Oxidative stress