Hypoxic preconditioning improves long-term functional outcomes after neonatal hypoxia-ischemic injury by restoring white matter integrity and brain development.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (H/I) results in gray and white matter injury, characterized by neuronal loss, failure of neural network formation, retarded myelin formation, and abnormal accumulation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). These changes lead to severe neurological deficits and mortality. Sublethal hypoxic preconditioning (HPC) can protect the developing brain against H/I. However, limited evidence is available concerning its effect on white matter injury.

Methods

In this study, P6 neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to normoxic (21% O₂ ) or HPC (7.8% O₂ ) for 3 hours followed 24 hours later by H/I brain injury. Neurological deficits were assessed by gait, righting reflex, foot fault, and Morris water maze tests. Compound act

SUBMITTER: Xu MY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6515700 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature