Reduction In Brain Weight Research Articles

Grape Seed Extract Given Three Hours After Injury Suppresses Lipid Peroxidation and Reduces Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury in Neonatal Rats

We have reported that pretreatment with grape seed extract (GSE), a potent antioxidant, is neuroprotective. This study examined whether treatment after injury with GSE is protective. Seven-day-old rat pups had the right carotid artery ligated, and then 2.5 h of 8% oxygen. GSE (50 mg/kg) or vehicle was administered by i.p. initial injection at 5 min to 5 h after reoxygenation, with an additional three doses within 26 h after injury. Brain damage was evaluated by weight deficit of the right hemisphere at 22 d after hypoxia. Treatment at 3 h after reoxygenation reduced brain weight loss from 21.0 +/- 3.3% in vehicle-treated pups (n = 31) to 11.4 +/- 2.8% in treated pups (n = 31, p < 0.05). GSE lowered body temperature, but reduced brain injury even when body temperature was controlled. GSE reduced neurofunctional abnormalities caused by the hypoxia-ischemia (HI). GSE reduced a HI induced increase in 8-isoprostaglandin F2alpha (8-isoPGF2alpha) and reduced an HI-induced increase in the proapoptotic protein c-jun in the brain cortex. GSE up to 3 h after reoxygenation reduces brain injury in rat pups, probably by suppressing lipid peroxidation and the proapoptotic protein c-jun.

Transgenic Mice Overexpressing Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β: A Putative Model of Hyperactivity and Mania

Lithium is used as treatment for bipolar disorder with particular efficacy in the treatment of mania. Lithium inhibits glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK-3beta) directly or indirectly via stimulation of the kinase Akt-1. We therefore investigated the possibility that transgenic mice overexpressing GSK-3beta could be of relevance to model bipolar disorder. Transgenic mice showed hypophagia, an increased general locomotor activity, and decreased habituation as assessed in an open field, an increased acoustic startle response, and again decreased habituation. The forced swim test revealed a reduced immobility in transgenic mice, but this is probably related to the hyperactivity of the animals. There were no differences in baseline and stress-induced increases of plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone and corticosterone levels. Molecular analysis suggests compensatory mechanisms in the striatum of these transgenic mice for the overload of active GSK-3beta by dimming the endogenous GSK-3beta signaling pathway via upregulation of Akt-1 expression. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein levels were increased in the hippocampus of the transgenic mice. This suggests some kind of compensatory mechanism to the observed reduction in brain weight, which has been related previously to a reduced size of the somatodendritic compartment. Together, in mice overexpressing GSK-3beta, specific intracellular signaling pathways are affected, which is accompanied by altered plasticity processes and increased activity and reactivity, whereas habituation processes seem to be decreased. The behavioral observations led to the suggestion that the model at hand recapitulates hyperactivity as observed in the manic phase of bipolar disorder.

Developmental timeframes for induction of microgyria and rapid auditory processing deficits in the rat

Induction of a focal freeze lesion to the skullcap of a 1-day-old rat pup leads to the formation of microgyria similar to those identified postmortem in human dyslexics. Rats with microgyria exhibit rapid auditory processing deficits similar to those seen in language-impaired (LI) children, and infants at risk for LI and these effects are particularly marked in juvenile as compared to adult subjects. In the current study, a startle response paradigm was used to investigate gap detection in juvenile and adult rats that received bilateral freezing lesions or sham surgery on postnatal day (P) 1, 3 or 5. Microgyria were confirmed in P1 and 3 lesion rats, but not in the P5 lesion group. We found a significant reduction in brain weight and neocortical volume in P1 and 3 lesioned brains relative to shams. Juvenile (P27–39) behavioral data indicated significant rapid auditory processing deficits in all three lesion groups as compared to sham subjects, while adult (P60+) data revealed a persistent disparity only between P1-lesioned rats and shams. Combined results suggest that generalized pathology affecting neocortical development is responsible for the presence of rapid auditory processing deficits, rather than factors specific to the formation of microgyria per se. Finally, results show that the window for the induction of rapid auditory processing deficits through disruption of neurodevelopment appears to extend beyond the endpoint for cortical neuronal migration, although, the persistent deficits exhibited by P1 lesion subjects suggest a secondary neurodevelopmental window at the time of cortical neuromigration representing a peak period of vulnerability.

Postmortem Intracranial Neuropathology in Children Following Cardiac Transplantation

At Loma Linda University Children's Hospital, the medical information of 405 pediatric patients who received orthotopic cardiac transplantation were reviewed. Of those who died (n=136), 86% (n=117) underwent postmortem examinations, and the brain was examined in 61% (n=82, male=39). The number and type of intracranial lesions present were compiled, and these were matched to underlying functional cardiac disease categories. Intracranial abnormalities were present in 87%. Infarct was the most common primary central nervous system pathology in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (41%) but was also observed frequently in children with obstructive lesions (37%), cyanotic disease (31%), or cardiac shunting (29%). Secondary findings included extraparenchymal hemorrhage in obstructive lesions (31%); hypoxic changes occurred in 15% of patients with cyanotic disease and in 14% of those with cardiac shunting. Thirty-three percent of children with restrictive lesions had no neuropathology reported. Postmortem examination brain weights were matched against age and sex norms, with 29% of females and 36% of males below two standard deviations. These findings revealed that intracranial pathology was present in the majority of transplanted children who underwent postmortem examination, and that infarctive changes constituted the most common neuropathologic abnormality. Additionally, a number of children had significantly reduced brain weight.

Neurological abnormalities in caveolin-1 knock out mice

Caveolin-1 is the defining structural protein in caveolar vesicles, which regulate signal transduction and cholesterol trafficking in cells. In the brain, cav-1 is highly expressed in neurons and glia, but its function in those cell types is unclear. Mice deficient in cav-1 (CavKO) have been developed to test functional roles for cav-1 in various tissues. However, neurological phenotypes associated with loss of cav-1 in mice have not been evaluated. Here, we report the results of motor and behavioral testing of CavKO mice. We find that mice deficient in cav-1 have reduced brain weight and display a number of motor and behavioral abnormalities. CavKO mice develop neurological phenotypes including clasping, abnormal spinning, muscle weakness, reduced activity, and gait abnormalities. These data suggest that cav-1 is involved in maintaining cortico-striato-pallido-thalamo-pontine pathways associated with motor control.

Right parietal lobe syndrome as a clinical variant of Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease

AbstractWe report a 57‐year‐old patient with Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease that initially presented with right parietal lobe syndrome. He featured early dystonic and hemiparetic posture of the left upper limb, finger agnosia, geographic disorientation and acalculia and developed myoclonus from the left upper extremity and right‐sided periodic synchronized discharges. He died 2 years and 3 months later. Brain autopsy revealed a marked reduction in brain weight, extensive cortical spongiform changes and white matter degeneration. Immunolabeled prion proteins were deposited diffusely in the neuropil. Accentuation of the cortical change was unclear but white matter degeneration was more severe in the right parietal lobe than in the left parietal lobe. Right parietal lobe syndrome is rarely reported as an initial symptom of Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease and can be a clinical variant of the disease.

Cleavage at the Caspase-6 Site Is Required for Neuronal Dysfunction and Degeneration Due to Mutant Huntingtin

Cleavage of huntingtin (htt) has been characterized in vitro, and accumulation of caspase cleavage fragments represents an early pathological change in brains of Huntington's disease (HD) patients. However, the relationship between htt proteolysis and the pathogenesis of HD is unknown. To determine whether caspase cleavage of htt is a key event in the neuronal dysfunction and selective neurodegeneration in HD, we generated YAC mice expressing caspase-3- and caspase-6-resistant mutant htt. Mice expressing mutant htt, resistant to cleavage by caspase-6 but not caspase-3, maintain normal neuronal function and do not develop striatal neurodegeneration. Furthermore, caspase-6-resistant mutant htt mice are protected against neurotoxicity induced by multiple stressors including NMDA, quinolinic acid (QA), and staurosporine. These results are consistent with proteolysis of htt at the caspase-6 cleavage site being an important event in mediating neuronal dysfunction and neurodegeneration and highlight the significant role of htt proteolysis and excitotoxicity in HD.

Neocortical neurodegeneration in young adult Wistar rats prenatally exposed to ethanol

This study was aimed to determine the persistence of neurodegeneration in the cerebral cortex of adult Wistar rats following prenatal ethanol exposure. Timed pregnant rats maintained on standard mouse chow (Ladokun Feeds, Ibadan, Nigeria) and water ad libitum were used for the study. The rats were divided randomly into groups A and B ( n − 6) and C ( n = 4). Group A received a daily ethanol dose of 5.8 g/Kg body weight/day, on the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th days of gestation by intragastric intubation, at 16.00 h (PEE) group B was pair-fed with the ethanol dams on isocaloric solution of sucrose for the same duration (PF), while group C received standard chow (C) and water ad libitum. At birth, the pups were weighed and weaned at 30 days of age. Wet brain weights of adult offsprings were determined at 42 days of age. Following whole body perfusion–fixation after anaesthesia, specimens of the neocortex were processed routinely for paraffin embedding and sections of 6 μm thickness stained for neurohistology from each group. Another set of specimens was cryosectioned at − 23 °C and evaluated for apoptosis by the TUNEL method. The study showed a significantly sustained 44% reduction in brain weight. Neurodegeneration was evident in the layer V, consisting of mostly pyknotic pyramidal neurons, with broken dendrites, collapsed cell bodies, obliterated nuclei and nucleoli. There was a 55% decrease in the normal pyramidal neuron cell pack density. The negative TUNEL signals in both groups suggest that apoptosis may play no role in the mechanism of action occurring at this age of the animals. These sustained changes may underlie the neurobehavioural deficits that have been variously reported.

Nicotinamide reduces hypoxic ischemic brain injury in the newborn rat

Nicotinamide reduces ischemic brain injury in adult rats. Can similar brain protection be seen in newborn animals? Seven-day-old rat pups had the right carotid artery permanently ligated followed by 2.5 h of 8% oxygen. Nicotinamide 250 or 500 mg/kg was administered i.p. 5 min after reoxygenation, with a second dose given at 6 h after the first. Brain damage was evaluated by weight deficit of the right hemisphere at 22 days following hypoxia. Nicotinamide 500 mg/kg reduced brain weight loss from 24.6 ± 3.6% in vehicle pups ( n = 28) to 11.9 ± 2.6% in the treated pups ( n = 29, P < 0.01), but treatment with 250 mg/kg did not affect brain weight. Nicotinamide 500 mg/kg also improved behavior in rotarod performance. Levels of 8-isoprostaglandin F 2α measured in the cortex by enzyme immune assay 16 h after reoxygenation was 115 ± 7 pg/g in the shams ( n = 6), 175 ± 17 pg/g in the 500 mg/kg nicotinamide treated ( n = 7), and 320 ± 79 pg/g in the vehicle treated pups ( n = 7, P < 0.05 versus sham, P < 0.05 versus nicotinamide). Nicotinamide reduced the increase in caspase-3 activity caused by hypoxic ischemia ( P < 0.01). Nicotinamide reduces brain injury in the neonatal rat, possibly by reducing oxidative stress and caspase-3 activity.

Chronology of behavioral symptoms and neuropathological sequela in R6/2 Huntington's disease transgenic mice

Genetic murine models play an important role in the study of human neurological disorders by providing accurate and experimentally accessible systems to study pathogenesis and to test potential therapeutic treatments. One of the most widely employed models of Huntington's disease (HD) is the R6/2 transgenic mouse. To characterize this model further, we have performed behavioral and neuropathological analyses that provide a foundation for the use of R6/2 mice in preclinical therapeutic trials. Behavioral analyses of the R6/2 mouse reveal age-related impairments in dystonic movements, motor performance, grip strength, and body weight that progressively worsen until death. Significant neuropathological sequela, identified as increasing marked reductions in brain weight, are present from 30 days, whereas decreased brain volume is present from 60 days and decreased neostriatal volume and striatal neuron area, with a concomitant reduction in striatal neuron number, are present at 90 days of age. Huntingtin-positive aggregates are present at postnatal day 1 and increase in number and size with age. Our findings suggest that the R6/2 HD model exhibits a progressive HD-like behavioral and neuropathological phenotype that more closely corresponds to human HD than previously believed, providing further assurance that the R6/2 mouse is an appropriate model for testing potential therapies for HD.

Fetal origin of adverse pregnancy outcome: The water disinfectant by-product chloroacetonitrile induces oxidative stress and apoptosis in mouse fetal brain

Epidemiological studies indicate a relationship between water disinfectant by-products (DBP) and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO) including neural tube defects. These studies suggest that fetal brain may be vulnerable to DBP during early stages of development. Therefore, we examined several molecular markers commonly known to indicate chemical-induced neurotoxicity during fetal brain development following prenatal exposure to the DBP; chloroacetonitrile (CAN). Pregnant mice, at gestation day 6 (GD6), were treated with a daily oral dose of CAN (25 mg/kg). At GD12, two groups of animals were treated with an i.v. tracer dose of [2- 14C]-CAN. These animals were sacrificed at 1 and 24 h after treatment and processed for quantitative in situ micro-whole-body autoradiography. The remaining groups of animals continued to receive CAN. At GD18, control and treated animals were weighed, anesthetized, and fetuses were obtained and their brains were removed for biochemical and immunohistochemical analyses. Whole-body autoradiography studies indicate a significant uptake and retention of [2- 14C]-CAN/metabolites (M) in fetal brain (cerebral cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum) at 1 and 24 h. There was a 20% reduction in body weight and a 22% reduction in brain weight of fetuses exposed to CAN compared to controls. A significant increase in oxidative stress markers was observed in various fetal brain regions in animals exposed to CAN compared to controls. This was indicated by a 3- to 4-fold decrease in the ratio of the reduced to oxidized form of glutathione (GSH/GSSG), increased lipid peroxidation (1.3-fold), and increased 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine levels (1.4-fold). Cupric silver staining indicated a significant increase in the number of degenerating neurons in cortical regions in exposed animals. In animals exposed to CAN there was increase in nuclear DNA fragmentation (TUNEL staining) detected in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum (2-fold increase in apoptotic indices). Caspase-3 activity in cerebral cortex and cerebellum of treated animals were also increased (1.7- and 1.5-fold, respectively). In conclusion, this study indicates that CAN/M crossed the placenta and accumulated in fetal brain tissues where it caused oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis. These events could predispose the fetus to altered brain development leading to APO as well as behavioral and learning and memory deficits.

Essential role of protein kinase Bγ (PKBγ/Akt3) in postnatal brain development but not in glucose homeostasis

Protein kinase B is implicated in many crucial cellular processes, such as metabolism, apoptosis and cell proliferation. In contrast to Pkb(alpha) and Pkb(beta)-deficient mice, Pkb(gamma)(-/-) mice are viable, show no growth retardation and display normal glucose metabolism. However, in adult Pkb(gamma)mutant mice, brain size and weight are dramatically reduced by about 25%. In vivo magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the reduction of Pkb(gamma)(-/-) brain volumes with a proportionally smaller ventricular system. Examination of the major brain structures revealed no anatomical malformations except for a pronounced thinning of white matter fibre connections in the corpus callosum. The reduction in brain weight of Pkb(gamma)(-/-) mice is caused, at least partially, by a significant reduction in both cell size and cell number. Our results provide novel insights into the physiological role of Pkb(gamma) and suggest a crucial role in postnatal brain development.

Grape seed extract suppresses lipid peroxidation and reduces hypoxic ischemic brain injury in neonatal rats

Oxygen radicals play a crucial role in brain injury. Grape seed extract is a potent anti-oxidant. Does grape seed extract reduce brain injury in the rat pup? Seven-day-old rat pups had the right carotid arteries permanently ligated followed by 2.5 h of hypoxia (8% oxygen). Grape seed extract, 50 mg/kg, or vehicle was administered by i.p. 5 min prior to hypoxia and 4 h after reoxygenation and twice daily for 1 day. Brain damage was evaluated by weight deficit of the right hemisphere at 22 days following hypoxia and by histopathology. Grape seed extract reduced brain weight loss from 20.0 ± 4.4% S.E.M. in vehicle pups ( n = 21) to 3.1 ± 1.6% in treated pups ( n = 20, P < 0.01). Grape seed extract improved the histopathologic brain score in cortex, hippocampus and thalamus ( P < 0.05 versus vehicle). Concentrations of brain 8-isoprostaglandin F 2α and thiobarbituric acid reacting substances significantly increased due to hypoxic ischemia. Grape seed extract reduced this increase. Treatment with grape seed extract suppresses lipid peroxidation and reduces hypoxic ischemic brain injury in neonatal rat.

CGS21680 attenuates symptoms of Huntington's disease in a transgenic mouse model

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion in exon 1 of the Huntingtin (Htt) gene. We show herein that in an HD transgenic mouse model (R6/2), daily administration of CGS21680 (CGS), an A(2A) adenosine receptor (A(2A)-R)-selective agonist, delayed the progressive deterioration of motor performance and prevented a reduction in brain weight. 3D-microMRI analysis revealed that CGS reversed the enlarged ventricle-to-brain ratio of R6/2 mice, with particular improvements in the left and right ventricles. (1)H-MRS showed that CGS significantly reduced the increased choline levels in the striatum. Immunohistochemical analyses further demonstrated that CGS reduced the size of ubiquitin-positive neuronal intranuclear inclusions (NIIs) in the striatum of R6/2 mice and ameliorated mutant Htt aggregation in a striatal progenitor cell line overexpressing mutant Htt with expanded polyQ. Moreover, chronic CGS treatment normalized the elevated blood glucose levels and reduced the overactivation of a major metabolic sensor [5'AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)] in the striatum of R6/2 mice. Since AMPK is a master switch for energy metabolism, modulation of energy dysfunction caused by the mutant Htt might contribute to the beneficial effects of CGS. Collectively, CGS is a potential drug candidate for the treatment of HD.

The magnitude of methylmercury-induced cytotoxicity and cell cycle arrest is p53-dependent

Methylmercury (MeHg), a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, is a known potent teratogen selectively affecting the developing central nervous system. While a definitive mechanism for MeHg-induced developmental neurotoxicity remains elusive, in utero exposure has been associated with reduced brain weight and reduction in cell number. This suggests early toxicant interference with critical molecular signaling events controlling cell behavior, i.e., proliferation. To examine the role of p53, a major regulator of the G(1)/S and G(2)/M cell cycle checkpoints, in MeHg toxicity, we isolated GD 14 primary embryonal fibroblasts from homozygous wild-type p53 (p53+/+) and homozygous null p53 (p53-/-) mice. Cells were treated at passages 4-7 for 24 or 48 hr with 0, 1.0, or 2.5 microM MeHg and analyzed for effects on viability, cell cycle progression (using BrdU-Hoechst flow cytometric analysis), and apoptosis via annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide (PI) staining. The p53+/+ cells are more sensitive than p53-/- cells to MeHg-induced cytotoxicity, cell cycle inhibition, and induction of apoptosis: at 24 hr, 2.5 microM MeHg reduced p53+/+ cell viability to 72.6% +/- 3.2%, while p53-/- viability was 94.6% +/- 0.4%. The p53-/- cells underwent less necrosis and less apoptosis following MeHg treatment. MeHg (2.5 microM) also halted all cycling in the p53+/+ cells, while 42.6% +/- 7.2% of p53-/- cells were able to reach a new G(0)/G(1) in 48 hr. Time- and dose-dependent accumulation of cells in G(2)/M phase (1.0 and 2.5 microM MeHg) was observed independent of the p53 genotype; however, the magnitude of change was p53-dependent. These studies suggest that MeHg-induced cell cycle arrest occurs via both p53-dependent and -independent pathways in our model system; however, cell death resulting from MeHg exposure is highly dependent on p53.

Effects into adulthood of single or repeated antenatal corticosteroids in sheep

To determine effects of maternal or fetal injections of betamethasone on postnatal growth and arterial pressure. We measured body weight, arterial pressure, and heart rate serially in sheep born after single or repeated maternal or fetal betamethasone injections. At approximately 3.5 years, organ weights were measured. Repeated maternal betamethasone injections caused intrauterine growth restriction, and low body weight and blood pressure at 3 months. From 6 months to 3 years, body weight, blood pressure, and heart rate were not affected by treatment. At approximately 3.5 years, brain weight was reduced after single or repeated maternal betamethasone by 13% and 18%, respectively (P = .001). Fetal betamethasone reduced brain weight by 7% to 8% (P = .018). Weights of other organs were not affected by treatment. Brain weight was unrelated to body weight at approximately 3.5 years (P = .649) but was related to birth weight (P = .029). Prenatal betamethasone does not have long-term effects on blood pressure but causes a persistent deficit in brain weight.

Estrogen attenuates hypoxic–ischemic brain injury in neonatal rats

Estrogen is neuroprotective in adult animals. We wished to determine if estrogen protects against brain injury in the newborn. Four-day-old rat pups were treated with subcutaneously implanted pellets containing 0.05 mg (2.4 μg/day) of 17β-estradiol or vehicle, designed to release the estrogen over 21 days. At 7 days old the pups had the right carotid artery ligated followed by 2.5 h of 8% oxygen. Brain damage was evaluated by weight deficit of the right hemisphere at 22 days following hypoxia. Estradiol treatments reduced brain weight loss from −17.4±2.8% S.E.M. in the vehicle group ( n=32) to −9.3±2.7% in the treated group ( n=32, P<0.05). Brain cortex thiobarbituric acid reacting substances and caspase activities were assessed 24 h after reoxygenation. Estradiol significantly reduced a hypoxia-induced increase in brain thiobarbituric acid reactive substances ( P<0.05). Levels of caspase-3, -8 and -9 activity increased due to hypoxia–ischemia. Estradiol had no effect on caspase activity. Estradiol reduced brain injury in the neonatal rat.

Overexpression of Gly56/Gly80/Gly81-Mutant Insulin-Like Growth Factor-Binding Protein-3 in Transgenic Mice

IGF-independent effects of IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) have been demonstrated in vitro; however, the physiological significance of these effects in vivo is unclear. We generated two transgenic (Tg) mouse strains that overexpress a human Gly56/Gly80/Gly81-mutant IGFBP-3 cDNA. This mutant has a markedly reduced affinity for the IGFs, but retains the IGF-independent effects. Serum levels of mutant IGFBP-3 were 156 +/- 12 and 400 +/- 24 ng/ml in hemizygous mice of strains 5005 and 5012, respectively. When Tg and wild-type mice were compared, there was no reduction in birth weight, litter size, or postnatal growth. Despite differences in transgene expression in various tissues, relative organ weight was similar in Tg and wild-type mice, with exception of brain, where a modest reduction in brain weight was observed in the high-expressing 5012 lineage. There was also a significant reduction in proliferating cell nuclear antigen-staining cells observed in the periventricular region of the developing brain in embryonic d 18 Tg embryos. In the higher expressing 5012 Tg strain, IGF-I and murine IGFBP-3 levels, marker of GH action were increased. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between mutant IGFBP-3 levels and IGF-I levels and between mutant IGFBP-3 levels and murine IGFBP-3 (P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, respectively). These data indicate that overexpression of mutant IGFBP-3 is not associated with growth retardation. The higher levels of IGF-I and murine IGFBP-3 in the 5012 Tg strain suggest that the growth inhibitory effect of mutant IGFBP-3 may be compensated for by other mechanisms.

Transient exposure of rat pups to hyperoxia at normobaric and hyperbaric pressures does not cause retinopathy of prematurity

We have shown that hyperoxia reduces brain damage in a rat model of hypoxia–ischemia. The purpose of this study was to examine the possibility of hyperoxia in inducing vision-threatening retinopathy. Two different experiments were conducted in this study. PART 1: seven-day-old rat pups were subjected to unilateral carotid artery ligation followed by 2 h of hypoxia (8% O 2 at 37°C). Pups were treated with 100% oxygen at 1 ATA, 1.5 ATA, and 3.0 ATA for a duration of 1 h. PART 2: Newborn rat pups were exposed to 100% oxygen at 1, 1.5, or 3.0 ATA for 1 h, the same treatment protocol used for brain protection after hypoxia–ischemia. Retinopathy was evaluated by the degree of neovascularization (measuring retinal vascular density), by the structural abnormalities (histology) in the retina, and by the expression of hypoxia–hyperoxia sensitive proteins including hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at 24 h, 1, 2, and 10 weeks after hyperoxia exposure. Hyperoxic treatment at all pressures administered significantly reduced the hypoxia–ischemic-induced reduction in brain weight. Retinal vascular density measurements revealed no signs of neovascularization after hyperoxia exposure. There were also no abnormalities in the structure of the retina and no changes in the protein expression of HIF-1α and VEGF following hyperoxia exposure. Exposure to hyperoxia for 1 h at normobaric or hyperbaric pressures did not result in the structural changes or abnormal vascularization that is associated with retinopathy of prematurity, suggesting that hyperoxia is a safe treatment for hypoxic newborn infants.

An animal model of chronic placental insufficiency: Relevance to neurodevelopmental disorders including schizophrenia

Evidence now suggests that compromised prenatal brain development may increase the risk for the manifestation of neurological disorders such as schizophrenia. We present a guinea-pig model which mimics a condition of human pregnancy, namely, chronic placental insufficiency. Previously we reported that at term there are changes in the brains of these offspring which are relevant to changes in patients with schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to examine whether deficits in brain structure persist to adolescence and young adulthood (8–12 weeks) and have implications for behavioral function. Reduced uteroplacental blood flow was induced via unilateral ligation of the uterine artery at mid-gestation. The brain was examined in control and prenatally compromised (PC) animals 8 weeks after birth using morphometric and immunohistochemical markers. In a separate cohort of animals, prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response was assessed at 4, 8 and 12 weeks of age. Brain neurochemistry was examined by determining the concentrations of dopamine and its metabolite, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), at 12 weeks using high performance liquid chromatography. In PC animals compared with controls there was a reduction in brain weight, persistent enlargement of the lateral ventricles, a reduction in the volume of the basal ganglia and septal region and no evidence of gliosis. No differences were observed in concentration of catecholamines in any brain region examined. At 12, but not 4 or 8, weeks of age, PPI was reduced in PC animals compared with controls. The findings of reduced brain weight, ventriculomegaly, reduced basal ganglia volume and absence of astrogliosis in the PC guinea-pig brain at adolescence parallel some of the changes observed in patients with schizophrenia. The impairment of PPI is comparable to sensorimotor gating deficits observed in patients with schizophrenia. These results indicate that adverse prenatal conditions lead to long-term alterations in brain structure and function which resemble alterations seen in patients with schizophrenia and therefore support the early neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia.