Влияние однократной нормобарической гипоксии у крыс в возрасте 10 дней на сенсомоторное развитие и поведение животных

Abstract

Fetal or newborn hypoxia is a major cause of neonatal mortality and induces long-term motor and cognitive impairment. The aim of the presented work was to study the effects of an acute normobaric hypoxia in rats at the age of 10 days (a model of full-term human pregnancy). Male and female Wistar rats were exposed to hypoxic condition (oxygen content – 8 % for 2 h). Control animals were kept in the same conditions with normal oxygen content. From 11 to 35 days of life, the level of physical and motor development, motor and exploratory activity, and the level of anxiety were assessed. During hypoxic exposure the level of lethality was 21.1%. In rats of both sexes, there was a slowdown in weight gain and retarded performance of motor reflexes. Impaired motor coordination and ability to keep balance were recorded in male, but not in female rats underwent neonatal hypoxia. Adolescent female rats subjected to hypoxia demonstrated increased anxiety-like behaviour in elevated plus maze test. The results obtained indicate the gender-specific manner of the effects of neonatal hypoxia. The described method can be considered as a model of hypoxic brain damage in full-term newborns.