title: Immuno-modulator inter-alpha inhibitor proteins ameliorate complex auditory processing deficits in rats with neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.
abstract: Hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury is recognized as a significant problem in the perinatal period, contributing to life-long language-learning and other cognitive impairments. Central auditory processing deficits are common in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and have been shown to predict language learning deficits in other at risk infant populations. Inter-alpha inhibitor proteins (IAIPs) are a family of structurally related plasma proteins that modulate the systemic inflammatory response to infection and have been shown to attenuate cell death and improve learning outcomes after neonatal brain injury in rats. Here, we show that systemic administration of IAIPs during the early HI injury cascade ameliorates complex auditory discrimination deficits as compared to untreated HI injured subjects, despite reductions in brain weight. These findings have significant clinical implications for improving central auditory processing deficits linked to language learning in neonates with HI related brain injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Regis College, 235 Wellesley Street, Weston, MA 02493, USA. Electronic address: Steven.Threlkeld@regiscollege.edu.
authors.forename: Steven W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Threlkeld
authors.affiliation: ProThera Biologics, Inc., Providence, RI 02903, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
authors.forename: Yow-Pin
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychology and Biology, Rhode Island College, 600 Mount Pleasant Ave., Providence, RI 02904, USA.
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: La Rue
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychology and Biology, Rhode Island College, 600 Mount Pleasant Ave., Providence, RI 02904, USA.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gaudet
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, 101 Dudley Street, Providence, RI 02905, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Stonestreet
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000510:Alpha-Globulins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001308:Auditory Perceptual Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003463:Cues; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000510:Alpha-Globulins; C011877:inter-alpha-inhibitor
keywords: Auditory temporal processing; Neonatal brain injury; Neurobehavioral protection; Pre-pulse inhibition