Hydrogen therapy reduces apoptosis in neonatal hypoxia-ischemia rat model

Jianmei Cai, Zhimin Kang, Wen Wu Liu, Xu Luo, Sun Qiang, John H. Zhang, Shigeo Ohta, Xuejun Sun, Weigang Xu, Hengyi Tao, Runping Li

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Hypoxia-ischemia (HI) brain injury is a major cause of neuronal cell death especially apoptosis in the perinatal period. This study was designated to examine the effect of hydrogen therapy on apoptosis in an established neonatal HI rat pup model. Seven-day-old rat pups were subjected to left common carotid artery ligation and then 90 min hypoxia (8% oxygen at 37 °C). Immediately after HI insult, pups were placed into a chamber filled with 2% H2 for 30 min, 60 min, or 120 min, respectively. 24 h after 2% H2 therapy, the pups were decapitated and brain injury was assessed by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazoliumchloride (TTC), Nissl, and TUNEL staining, as well as caspase-3, caspase-12 activities in the cortex and hippocampus. H2 treatment in a duration-dependent manner significantly reduced the number of positive TUNEL cells and suppressed caspase-3 and -12 activities. These results indicated H2 administration after HI appeared to provide brain protection via inhibition of neuronal apoptosis. © 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)167-172
Number of pages6
JournalNeuroscience Letters
Volume441
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 22 2008

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • General Neuroscience

Keywords

  • Apoptosis
  • Hydrogen
  • Hydroxyl radical
  • Hypoxic ischemia
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Hippocampus/pathology
  • Caspase 3/metabolism
  • In Situ Nick-End Labeling/methods
  • Cerebral Cortex/pathology
  • Apoptosis/drug effects
  • Rats
  • Neurons/drug effects
  • Ligation/methods
  • Cell Count/methods
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain/drug therapy
  • Tetrazolium Salts
  • Animals
  • Caspase 12/metabolism
  • Time Factors
  • Hydrogen/therapeutic use
  • Disease Models, Animal

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