Effect of induced hypothermia on lipopolysaccharide-induced lung injury in neonatal rats.

Objectives: Recent data suggest that induced hypothermia has some protective effects on experimental lung injury. We aimed to evaluate the protective effect of mild hypothermia in a rat model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced neonatal lung injury.

Methods: Wistar rat pups were divided into four groups, specifically: (i) A control group, with no LPS administration and maintained in room air; (ii) A LPS group, with antenatal LPS administrated and maintained in room air; (iii) A LPS + hypothermia group, with antenatal LPS administrated and exposed to hypothermia; (iv) A hypothermia group, with no LPS administration and exposed to hypothermia.

Genetic basis of apnoea of prematurity and caffeine treatment response: role of adenosine receptor polymorphisms: genetic basis of apnoea of prematurity.

Aim: Caffeine treatment reduces the frequency of apnoea of prematurity (AOP) and eliminates the need for mechanical ventilation by acting as a nonspecific inhibitor of adenosine A1 and adenosine 2A receptors. Patients with AOP have demonstrated variant responses to caffeine therapy. We proposed to investigate the role of A1 and 2A polymorphisms in the development of AOP and individual differences in caffeine response.

Maternal omega-3 fatty acid supplementation protects against lipopolysaccharide-induced white matter injury in the neonatal rat brain.

Objectives: Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is the predominant form of brain injury in premature infants, and no specific treatment currently exists for this condition. We have evaluated whether maternal omega-3 fatty acid (ω3 FA) treatment reduces endotoxin-induced PVL in the developing rat brain.

Methods: Wistar rats with dated pregnancies were fed a standard diet or a diet enriched in ω3 FA (70% docosahexaenoic acid + 30% eicosapentaenoic acid mixture) during gestation.

Effect of leptin treatment on neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the possible neuroprotective and ameliorating effects of leptin treatment in hypoxic-ischemic injury induced neuronal cell death.

Methods: Experimental groups in the study were: sham-operated group, leptin treated hypoxia-ischemia group, and vehicle treated hypoxia-ischemia group. In hypoxia-ischemia group, left common carotid artery was ligated permanently on the seventh postnatal day.

Is gastric aspiration needed for newborn management in delivery room?

Aim: Gastric aspiration is still applied in many centres during delivery room management of the newborn without any supporting evidence. We aimed to determine whether gastric aspiration affects vital signs, oxygenation, nutrition and short-term prognosis of the newborn.

Method: A total of 310 eligible healthy term newborns, identified from a total of 1300 live births, were randomly allocated to receive either gastric aspiration or standard care.

Activated protein C reduces intestinal injury in an experimental model of necrotizing enterocolitis.

Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis is a devastating intestinal disease of premature infants. Although activated protein C (APC) is well defined as a physiologic anticoagulant, emerging data suggest that it also has cytoprotective, antiinflammatory, and antiapoptotic properties. There is no study on active protein C administration for necrotizing enterocolitis in animal models.

Protective effects of methylxanthines on hypoxia-induced apoptotic neurodegeneration and long-term cognitive functions in the developing rat brain.

Aminophylline is widely used in the management of premature apnea. The methylxanthines aminophylline, theophylline and caffeine are nonspecific inhibitors of adenosine receptors. There are no proven effects of methylxanthines on acute brain injury and long-term cognitive functions.

Breast milk jaundice correlates with high levels of epidermal growth factor.

Maternal milk plays an important role in breast milk jaundice (BMJ) development and is the major source of epidermal growth factor (EGF) for neonates. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between EGF levels in the infant serum and in the milk of nursing mothers and BMJ. Two groups were defined: study group (n = 30), newborns who were followed up for BMJ without any identifiable pathologic cause; control group, healthy newborns whose serum total bilirubin levels were <10 mg/dL.

Clarithromycin, montelukast, and pentoxifylline combination treatment ameliorates experimental neonatal hyperoxic lung injury.

Objective: We aimed to assess the efficiency of clarithromycin, montelukast, and pentoxifylline treatments, alone and in combination, in reducing hyperoxic lung injury at the histopathologic level.

Methods: The experiment was carried out with 47 newborn rat pups divided into six groups during postnatal days 3 to 13. The rats belonging to group 1 were designated as the control group and kept in room air without exposure to hyperoxia.

Effects of activated protein C on neonatal hypoxic ischemic brain injury.

Perinatal hypoxia-ischemia remains the single most important cause of brain injury in the newborn, leading to death or lifelong sequelae. White matter injuries in newborn infants have long-term effects on physical, visual, motor, sensory, cognitive and social development in human infants. There is no known cure for neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (NHIE).

Activated protein C reduces endotoxin-induced white matter injury in the developing rat brain.

Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), the dominant form of brain injury in premature infants, is characterized by white matter injury (WMI) and is associated with cerebral palsy. The pathogenesis of PVL is complex and likely involves ischemia/reperfusion, free radical formation, excitotoxicity, impaired regulation of cerebral blood flow, a procoagulant state, and inflammatory mechanisms associated with maternal and/or fetal infection. Using an established animal model of human PVL, we investigated whether activated protein C (APC), an anti-coagulant factor with anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-oxidant, and cytoprotective activities, could reduce endotoxin-induced WMI in the developing rat brain.

Erythropoietin attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced white matter injury in the neonatal rat brain.

Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), a common neonatal brain white matter (WM) lesion, is frequently associated with cerebral palsy. Growing evidence has indicated that in addition to ischemia/reperfusion injury, cytokine-induced brain injury associated with maternal or fetal infection may also play an important role in the pathogenesis of PVL. Recent studies have shown that administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to pregnant rats causes enhanced expression of the cytokines, i.

Neuroprotective effect of the peptides ADNF-9 and NAP on hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in neonatal rats.

Perinatal asphyxia is an important cause of neonatal mortality and subsequent serious sequelae such as motor and cognitive deficits and seizures. Recent studies have demonstrated that short peptides derived from activity-dependent neurotrophic factor (ADNF) and activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP) are neuroprotective at femtomolar concentrations. However, the effect of these peptides on the hypoxic-ischemic brain injury model is unknown.