Magnetic resonance imaging scanning susceptibility weighted imaging sequences in the diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

BACKGROUND Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)scanning with susceptibility weighted imaging(SWI)sequences plays a significant role in the diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE).AIM To observe the role of MRI multi-parameter quantitative indexes in the diagnosis of neonatal HIE.METHODS The imaging data from 23 cases of neonatal HIE admitted to the Imaging Department of Ganyu District People's Hospital of Lianyungang City and 23 neonates without HIE admitted during the same period were analyzed retrospectively from August,2021 to December,2023.The results of clinical judgment were compared with the results of computed tomography(CT)and MRI examinations.RESULTS The degree of cerebral edema(more than moderate),the number of damaged brain regions(>2),the number of cerebral hemorrhages(>2),and the percentage of small venous dilatation detected were higher in MRI than in CT examination,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The total area of the largest region of cerebral damage and of cerebral hemorrhage observed by MRI examination were significantly larger than those of CT examination(P<0.01).Multiparametric quantitative MRI combined with diffusion weighted imaging and SWI had higher sensitivity and accuracy than CT diagnosis,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The difference in the specificity of the two modes of diagnosis was not significant(P>0.05).CONCLUSION The use of MRI multi-parameter quantitative indexes can accurately diagnose and evaluate neonatal HIE.

Transplantation of human placental chorionic plate-derived mesenchymal stem cells for repair of neurological damage in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is often associated with permanent cerebral palsy,neurosensory impairments,and cognitive deficits,and there is no effective treatment for complications related to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.The therapeutic potential of human placental chorionic plate-derived mesenchymal stem cells for various diseases has been explored.However,the potential use of human placental chorionic plate-derived mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy has not yet been investigated.In this study,we injected human placental chorionic plate-derived mesenchymal stem cells into the lateral ventricle of a neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy rat model and observed significant improvements in both cognitive and motor function.Protein chip analysis showed that interleukin-3 expression was significantly elevated in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy model rats.Following transplantation of human placental chorionic plate-derived mesenchymal stem cells,interleukin-3 expression was downregulated.To further investigate the role of interleukin-3 in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy,we established an in vitro SH-SY5Y cell model of hypoxic-ischemic injury through oxygen-glucose deprivation and silenced interleukin-3 expression using small interfering RNA.We found that the activity and proliferation of SH-SY5Y cells subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation were further suppressed by interleukin-3 knockdown.Furthermore,interleukin-3 knockout exacerbated neuronal damage and cognitive and motor function impairment in rat models of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.The findings suggest that transplantation of hpcMSCs ameliorated behavioral impairments in a rat model of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy,and this effect was mediated by interleukin-3-dependent neurological function.

Observation on the Effect of Parental Participation in Nursing Under the IMCHB Model in Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

Objective:To investigate the clinical effects of parental participation in nursing under the Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior(IMCHB)model in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE).Methods:The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University included 46 newborns with HIE admitted from October 2021 to October 2023 into the study population.They were divided into a control group and an observation group according to the random number table method,with the control group adopting routine nursing,and the observation group implementing parental participation in nursing under the IMCHB model.The indicators of physical,intellectual,and psychomotor development of the two groups were compared before and after nursing.Results:The physical,intellectual,and psychomotor development of the observation group was higher than that of the control group after 3 months of nursing,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion:The implementation of the IMCHB model of parental participation in the clinical care of HIE neonates can further promote their physical,intellectual,and psychomotor development.

Mild hypothermia combined with neural stem cell transplantation for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy: neuroprotective effects of combined therapy

Neural stem cell transplantation is a useful treatment for ischemic stroke, but apoptosis often occurs in the hypoxic-ischemic environment of the brain after cell transplantation. In this study, we determined if mild hypothermia （27-28~C） can increase the survival rate of neural stem cells （1.0 x 105/~tL） transplanted into neonatal mice with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Long-term effects on neurological functioning of the mice were also examined. After mild hy- pothermia combined with neural stem cell transplantation, we observed decreased expression levels of inflammatory factor nuclear factor-kappa B and apoptotic factor caspase-3, reduced cerebral infarct volumes, increased survival rate of transplanted cells, and marked improvements in neurological function. Thus, the neuroprotective effects of mild hypothermia combined with neural stem cell transplantation are superior to those of monotherapy. Moreover, our findings suggest that the neuroprotective effects of mild hypothermia combined with neural stem cell transplantation on hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy are achieved by anti-inflammatory and an- ti-apoptotic mechanisms.

Thioperamide treats neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy by postsynaptic H1 receptors

Thioperamide, a selective histamine H3 receptor antagonist, can increase histamine content in the brain, improve brain edema, and exert a neuroprotective effect. This study aimed to examine the mechanism of action of thioperamide during brain edema in a rat model of neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Our results showed that thioperamide significantly decreased brain water content and malondialdehyde levels, while significantly increased histamine levels and superoxide dismutase activity in the hippocampus. This evidence demonstrates that thioperamide could pre vent oxidative damage and attenuate brain edema following neonatal hypoxicischemic encepha Iopathy. We further observed that changes in the above indexes occurred after combined treatment of thioperamide with the H1 receptor antagonist, pyrilamine, and the H2 receptor antagonist, ci metidine. Experimental findings indicated that pyrilamine reversed the effects of thioperamide; however, cimetidine had no significant influence on the effects of thioperamide. Our present findings suggest that thioperamide can increase brain histamine content and attenuate brain edema and oxidative damage by acting in combination with postsynaptic H1 receptors in a rat model of neo natal hypoxicischemic encephalopathy.

Feasibility of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells in pediatric hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy: Phase I study

BACKGROUND Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE)is one of the leading causes of death and long-term neurological impairment in the pediatric population.Despite a limited number of treatments to cure HIE,stem cell therapies appear to be a potential treatment option for brain injury resulting from HIE.AIM To investigate the efficacy and safety of stem cell-based therapies in pediatric patients with HIE.METHODS The study inclusion criteria were determined as the presence of substantial deficit and disability caused by HIE.Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells(WJ-MSCs)were intrathecally(IT),intramuscularly(IM),and intravenously administered to participants at a dose of 1×10^(6)/kg for each administration route twice monthly for 2 mo.In different follow-up durations,the effect of WJ-MSCs administration on HIE,the quality of life,prognosis of patients,and side effects were investigated,and patients were evaluated for neurological,cognitive functions,and spasticity using the Wee Functional Independence Measure(Wee FIM)Scale and Modified Ashworth(MA)Scale.RESULTS For all participants(n=6),the mean duration of exposure to hypoxia was 39.17+18.82 min,the mean time interval after HIE was 21.83±26.60 mo,the mean baseline Wee FIM scale score was 13.5±0.55,and the mean baseline MA scale score was 35±9.08.Three patients developed only early complications such as low-grade fever,mild headache associated with IT injection,and muscle pain associated with IM injection,all of which were transient and disappeared within 24 h.The treatment was evaluated to be safe and effective as demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging examinations,electroencephalographies,laboratory tests,and neurological and functional scores of patients.Patients exhibited significant improvements in all neurological functions through a 12-mo follow-up.The mean Wee FIM scale score of participants increased from 13.5±0.55 to 15.17±1.6 points(mean±SD)at 1 mo(z=-1.826,P=0.068)and to 23.5±3.39 points at 12 mo(z=-2.207,P=0.027)post-treatment.The percentage of patients who achieved an excellent functional improvement(Wee FIM scale total score=126)increased from 10.71%(at baseline)to 12.03%at 1 mo and to 18.65%at 12 mo posttreatment.CONCLUSION Both the triple-route and multiple WJ-MSC implantations were safe and effective in pediatric patients with HIE with significant neurological and functional improvements.The results of this study support conducting further randomized,placebo-controlled studies on this treatment in the pediatric population.

Effect of erythropoietin combined with hypothermia on serum tau protein levels and neurodevelopmental outcome in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

Although hypothermia therapy is effective to treat neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy,many neonatal patients die or suffer from severe neurological dysfunction.Erythropoietin is considered one of the most promising neuroprotective agents.We hypothesized that erythropoietin combined with hypothermia will improve efficacy of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treatment.In this study,41 neonates with moderate/severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy were randomly divided into a control group（hypothermia alone for 72 hours,n = 20） and erythropoietin group（hypothermia ＋ erythropoietin 200 IU/kg for 10 days,n = 21）.Our results show that compared with the control group,serum tau protein levels were lower and neonatal behavioral neurological assessment scores higher in the erythropoietin group at 8 and 12 days.However,neurodevelopmental outcome was similar between the two groups at 9 months of age.These findings suggest that erythropoietin combined with hypothermia reduces serum tau protein levels and improves neonatal behavioral neurology outcome but does not affect long-term neurodevelopmental outcome.

Molecular chaperones and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy（HIE） is a disease that occurs when the brain is subjected to hypoxia,resulting in neuronal death and neurological deficits,with a poor prognosis.The mechanisms underlying hypoxic-ischemic brain injury include excitatory amino acid release,cellular proteolysis,reactive oxygen species generation,nitric oxide synthesis,and inflammation.The molecular and cellular changes in HIE include protein misfolding,aggregation,and destruction of organelles.The apoptotic pathways activated by ischemia and hypoxia include the mitochondrial pathway,the extrinsic Fas receptor pathway,and the endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced pathway.Numerous treatments for hypoxic-ischemic brain injury caused by HIE have been developed over the last half century.Hypothermia,xenon gas treatment,the use of melatonin and erythropoietin,and hypoxic-ischemic preconditioning have proven effective in HIE patients.Molecular chaperones are proteins ubiquitously present in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.A large number of molecular chaperones are induced after brain ischemia and hypoxia,among which the heat shock proteins are the most important.Heat shock proteins not only maintain protein homeostasis; they also exert anti-apoptotic effects.Heat shock proteins maintain protein homeostasis by helping to transport proteins to their target destinations,assisting in the proper folding of newly synthesized polypeptides,regulating the degradation of misfolded proteins,inhibiting the aggregation of proteins,and by controlling the refolding of misfolded proteins.In addition,heat shock proteins exert anti-apoptotic effects by interacting with various signaling pathways to block the activation of downstream effectors in numerous apoptotic pathways,including the intrinsic pathway,the endoplasmic reticulum-stress mediated pathway and the extrinsic Fas receptor pathway.Molecular chaperones play a key role in neuroprotection in HIE.In this review,we provide an overview of the mechanisms of HIE and discuss the various treatment strategies.Given their critical role in the disease,molecular chaperones are promising therapeutic targets for HIE.

Meta-analysis evaluation of the treatment of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy with ganglioside

The efficacy and safety of ganglioside in the treatment of neonates who suffer from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE)needs to be fully evaluated.We searched the following databases:PubMed,ScienceDirect,LISTA,CNKI,Chinese biomedical literature database and Wanfang digital journals of full-text database to determine the inclusion and exclusion criteria of papers and a total of 12 papers were included after quality evaluation.Then we conducted the meta-analysis with RevMan5.0 software.The results showed that compared with the control group,the abnormal rate declined in the ganglioside-treated group(relative risk(RR)=0.27,95%confidence interval(CI)=0.05-1.96).NBNA records of the 7,10-14d neonates were improved effectively:RR(95%CI)were 2.28(0.86-3.42)and 2.53(1.04-2.92)respectively.Neural system sequelae incidence was reduced significantly:RR(95%CI)=0.35:(0.15-0.79).Ganglioside treatment could effectively reduce the abnormality rate of head size,improve the neurological score,reduce the incidence of neurological sequelae,and significantly prompt clinical recovery for neonates with HIE.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for promoting the intellectual rehabilitation of infants with severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy A 5-year follow-up

It has been reported that early intervention of hyperbaric oxygen （HBO） can promote the intellectual rehabilitation of infants with severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy （HIE） and can prevent mental retardation recently. However, the prior observations on the therapeutic effect almost were short-term. How about the observations on prospective efficacy and the following up on systematic intelligence test？ OBJECTIVE： To investigate the short-term and long-term effects of HBO therapy on the promotion of the intellectual rehabilitation in infants with severe HIE. DESIGN： A comparative observation. SETTING： Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital, Qingdao University Medical College. PARTICIPANTS： Forty-seven infants with severe HIE （35 males and 12 females） were treated with HBO in the Department of Pediatrics, the Affiliated Hospital of the Medical College of Qingdao University from October 1996 to July 1999. All of them were consistent with the diagnostic criteria and clinical grading on severe HIE which were designed by Chinese Medical Association pediatrics committee neonate group in Hangzhou, October, 1996. Informed contents were obtained from the relatives of all the infants. METHODS： ① Grouping： The infants were randomly divided into two groups according to the order of admission, those of odd numbers were HBO group （n =24） and those of even numbers were control group （n =23）. All the infants were treated with routine therapy for 3 months, in addition to HBO therapy in the HBO group, once a day for 4 courses of l0 days with the interval of l0 - 15 days since 8 to l0 days after birth. HBO chamber produced by the 701 Institute of China Ship Industry Company was used, and the therapy pressure was 0.14- 0.16 MPa, and the time of compression and decompression were both 15 minutes while voltage-stabilizing was 30 minutes. ② In order to evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of HBO on intellectual rehabilitation in infants with HIE, neonatal behavioral neurological assessment （NBNA） was employed at 7 and 28 days after birth, and Bayley scale of infant development （BSID） was got at two years old in both groups, as well as Wechsler preschool and primary scale of intelligence （WPPSI） at five years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Comparison of short-term and long-term intelligence between the two groups. RESULTS： ① Results of NBNA： The NBNA score at 28 days was significantly higher in the HBO group than in the control group （P 〈 0.01）. ② Results of BSID： The score of mental development index （MDI） of BSID at two years old in the HBO group was significantly higher than that in the control group （P 〈 0.05）. ③ Results of WPPSI： The score of full-scale intelligence quotient （FIQ） and verbal intelligence quotient （VIQ） of WPPSI in the HBO group were significantly higher than those in the control group （P 〈 0.05）. In addition, the rate of mental retardation in the HBO group was significantly lower than that in the control group [12.5% （3/24）, 39.1%（9/23）, P 〈 0.05]. CONCLUSION： Not only the short-term intellectual rehabilitation but also the long-term one in infants with severe HIE could be promoted by HBO therapy, which might be benefit to the prevention of mental retardation.

Phase I study on the safety and preliminary efficacy of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

BACKGROUND Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE)is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the adult as well as in the neonate,with limited options for treatment and significant dysfunctionality.AIM To investigate the safety and preliminary efficacy of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)in HIE patients.METHODS Patients who had HIE for at least 6 mo along with significant dysfunction and disability were included.All patients were given Wharton’s jelly-derived MSCs at 1×106/kg intrathecally,intravenously,and intramuscularly twice a month for two months.The therapeutic effects and prognostic implications of MSCs were evaluated by multiple follow-ups.Functional independence measure(FIM),modified Ashworth,and Karnofsky scales were used to assess any side effects,neurological and cognitive functions,and overall outcomes.RESULTS The 8 subjects included in the study had a mean age of 33.25±10.18 years.Mean HIE exposure and mean post-HIE durations were 45.63±10.18 and 19.67±29.04 mo,respectively.Mean FIM score was 18.38±1.06,mean modified Ashworth score was 43.5±4.63,and mean Karnofsky score was 20.For the first 24 h,5 of the patients experienced a subfebrile state,accompanied by mild headaches due to intrathecally administration and muscle pain because of intramuscularly administration.Neurological and functional examinations,laboratory tests,electroencephalography,and magnetic resonance imaging were performed to assess safety of treatment.Mean FIM score increased by 20.88±3.31 in the first month(P=0.027)and by 31.38±14.69 in 12 mo(P=0.012).The rate of patients with an FIM score of 126 increased from 14.58%to 16.57%in the first month and 24.90%in 12 mo.CONCLUSION Multiple triple-route Wharton’s jelly-derived MSC administrations were found to be safe for HIE patients,indicating neurological and functional improvement.Based on the findings obtained here,further randomized and placebo research could be performed.

Grading Method for Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Based on Neonatal EEG

The grading of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE)contributes to the clinical decision making for neonates with HIE.In this paper,an automated grading method based on electroencephalogram(EEG)data is proposed to describe the severity of HIE infants,namely mild asphyxia,moderate asphyxia and severe asphyxia.The automated grading method is based on a multi-class support vector machine(SVM)classifier,and the input features of SVM classifier include long-term features which are extracted by decomposing the EEG data into different 64 s epoch data and short-term features which are extracted by segmenting the 64 s epoch data into 8 s epoch data with 4 s overlap.Of note,the correlation coefficient and asymmetry extracted in this paper have obvious discriminating capability in HIE infants classification.The experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve the classification accuracy of 78.3%,75.8%and 87.0%of the mild asphyxia group,moderate asphyxia group and severe asphyxia group,respectively.Moreover,the overall accuracy and kappa used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method can reach 79.5%and 0.69,respectively.

Comparison of detection results of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy at different degrees in infant patients between brain electrical activity mapping, transcranial Doppler sonography and computer tomography examinations

BACKGROUND： It has been proved that brain electrical activity mapping （BEAM） and transcranial Doppler （TCD） detection can reflect the function of brain cell and its diseased degree of infant patients with moderate to severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy （HIE）. OBJECTIVE： To observe the abnormal results of HIE at different degrees detected with BEAM and TCD in infant patients, and compare the detection results at the same time point between BEAM, TCD and computer tomography （CT） examinations. DESIGN ： Contrast observation SETTING： Departments of Neuro-electrophysiology and Pediatrics, Second Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical College. PARTICIPANTS： Totally 416 infant patients with HIE who received treatment in the Department of Newborn Infants, Second Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical College during January 2001 and December 2005. The infant patients, 278 male and 138 female, were at embryonic 37 to 42 weeks and weighing 2.0 to 4.1 kg, and they were diagnosed with CT and met the diagnostic criteria of HIE of newborn infants compiled by Department of Neonatology, Pediatric Academy, Chinese Medical Association. According to diagnostic criteria, 130 patients were mild abnormal, 196 moderate abnormal and 90 severe abnormal. The relatives of all the infant patients were informed of the experiment. METHOOS： BEAM and TCD examinations were performed in the involved 416 infant patients with HIE at different degrees with DYD2000 16-channel BEAM instrument and EME-2000 ultrasonograph before preliminary diagnosis treatment （within 1 month after birth） and 1,3,6,12 and 24 months after birth, and detected results were compared between BEAM, TCD and CT examinations. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Comparison of detection results of HIE at different time points in infant patients between BEAM. TCD and CT examinations. RESULTS： All the 416 infant patients with HIE participated in the result analysis. （1） Comparison of the detected results in infant patients with mild HIE at different time points after birth between BEAM, TCD and CT examinations： BEAM examination showed that the recovery was delayed, and the abnormal rate of BEAM examination was significantly higher than that of CT examination 1 and 3 months after birth [55.4%（72/130）vs. 17.0% （22/130 ）,x^2=41.66 ;29.2% （ 38/130 ） vs. 6.2% （ 8/130 ）, x^2=23.77, P 〈 0.01 ], exceptional patients had mild abnormality and reached the normal level in about 6 months. TCD examination showed that the disease condition significantly improved and infant patients with HIE basically recovered 1 or 2 months after birth, while CT examination showed that infant patients recovered 3 or 4 months after birth. （2） Comparison of detection results of infant patients with moderate HIE at different time points between BEAM, TCD and CT examinations： The abnormal rate of BEAM examination was significantly higher than that of CT examination 1,3,6 and 12 months after birth [90.8% （178/196）,78.6% （154/196）,x^2=4.32,P 〈 0.05;64.3% （126/196）,43.9% （86/196） ,x^2=16.44 ;44.9% （88/196） ,22.4% （44/196）,x^2=22.11 ;21.4% （42/196）, 10.2% （20/196）,x^2=9.27, P 〈 0.01]. BEAM examination showed that there was still one patient who did not completely recovered in the 24^th month due to the relatives of infant patients did not combine the treatment,. TCD examination showed that the abnormal rate was 23.1%（30/196）in the 1^st month after birth, and all the patients recovered to the normal in the 3^rd month after birth, while CT examination showed that mild abnormality still existed in the 24^th month after birth （1.0% ,2/196）. （3） Comparison of detection results of infant patients with severe HIE at different time points between BEAM, TCD and CT examinations： The abnormal rate of BEAM examination was significantly higher than that of CT examination in the 1^st, 3^rd, 6^th and 12^th months after birth[86.7% （78/90）,44.4% （40/90）,x^2=35.53;62.2% （56/90）,31.1% （28/90）,x^2=17.51 ;37.8% （34/90）,6.7% （6/90）, x^2=27.14, P 〈 0.01]. BEAM examination showed that mild abnormality still existed in 4 infant patients in the 24^th month after birth. TCD examination showed that the abnormal rate was 11.1% （10/90） in the 3^rd month after birth, and all the infant patients recovered in the 6^th month after birth. CT examination showed that the abnormal rate was 6.7%（6/90） in the 12^th month after birth, and all of infant patients recovered to the normal in the 24^th month after birth.CONCLUSION ： BEAM is the direct index to detect brain function of infant patients with HIE, and positive reaction is still very sensitive in the tracking detection of convalescent period. The positive rate of morphological reaction in CT examination is superior to that in TCD examination, and the positive rate is very high in the acute period of HIE in examination.

Research progress of microRNA in the regulatory mechanism of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

MicroRNA(miRNA)plays a key role in the molecular regulation of neurological diseases,and the molecular mechanism of miRNA is closely related to the occurrence and development of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.Recently,it has been reported that various miRNA molecules can inhibit target mRNA and even degrade target mRNA by changing the complete complementary or incomplete complementary binding to the target mRNA.Therefore,miRNA is of great significance for the study of mRNA related to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.This article briefly reviews the molecular mechanisms,functions and regulation of miRNAs on hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Changes in hippocampal neurons and memory function during the developmental stage of newborn rats with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

BACKGROUND: Under the normal circumstance, there exist some synapses with inactive functions in central nervous system (CNS), but these functions are activated following nerve injury. At the early stage of brain injury, the abnormal functions of brain are varied, and they have very strong plasticity and are corrected easily. OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of neuronal morphology in hippocampal CA1 region and memory function in newborn rats with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE) from ischemia 6 hours to adult. DESIGN: Completely randomized grouping, controlled experiment. SETTING: Taian Health Center for Women and Children; Taishan Medical College. MATERIALS: Altogether 120 seven-day-old Wistar rats, of clean grade, were provided by the Experimental Animal Center, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Synaptophysin (SYN) polyclonal antibody was provided by Maixin Biological Company, Fuzhou. METHODS: This experiment was carried out in the Laboratory of Morphology, Taishan Medical College between October 2000 and December 2003. ① The newborn rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: model group and control group, 60 rats in each group. Five rats were chosen from each group at postoperative 6 hours, 24 hours, 72 hours, 7 days, 2 weeks and 3 weeks separately for immunohistochemical staining. Fifteen newborn rats were chosen from each group at postoperative 4 weeks and 2 months separately for testing memory ability (After test, 5 rats from each group were sacrificed and used for immunohistochemical staining)② The right common carotid artery of newborn rats of model group was ligated under the anesthetized status. After two hours of incubation, the rats were placed for 2 hours in a container filled with nitrogen oxygen atmosphere containing 0.08 volume fraction of oxygen, thus, HIE models were created; As for the newborn rats in the control group, only blood vessels were isolated, and they were not ligated and hypoxia-treated. ③ Thalamencephal tissue sections of newborn rats of two groups were performed DAB developing and haematoxylin slight staining. Cells with normal nucleous in 250 μm-long granular layer which started from hippocampal CA1 region were counted with image analysis system under high-fold optical microscope (×600), and the thickness of granular layer was measured. The absorbance (A) of positive reactant of SYN in immunohistochemically-stained CA1 region was measured. Learning and memory ability were measured with step through test 3 times successively. ④ t test and paired t test were used for comparing intergroup and intragroup difference of measurement data respectively, and Chi-square for comparing the difference of enumeration data. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparison of cytological changes in hippocampal CA1 region and memory ability at different postoperative time points between two groups. RESULTS: Totally 120 newborn rats were involved in the result analysis. ① Cell morphological changes in hippocampal CA1 region: In the control group, with aging, perikaryon, nucleus and nucleolus in cortex of parietal lobe were significantly increased, Nissl body was compacted, the amount of neurons was declined, but the A of SYN positive reactant was relatively increased. In the model group, at postoperative each time point, neurons were seriously shrunk and dark-stained, nucleus was contracted, chromatin was condensed, nucleolus was unclear, even cells disappeared, especially the cells in 6 hours and 24 hours groups. The amount of neurons with normal morphology in hippocampal CA1 region and granular layer thickness in the model group at postoperative each time point were significantly less or smaller than those in the control group at postoperative 6 hours respectively (t =3.002-1.254, P < 0.01). The A value of SYN positive reactant at postoperative 2, 3 and 4 weeks was significantly higher than that at previous time point (t =2.011-2.716,P < 0.05-0.01). ② Test results of learning and memory ability: In the first test, there was no significant difference in the ratio of rats which kept memory ability between two groups (P > 0.05); In the third test, the ratio of rats which kept memory ability in the model group was significantly lower than that in the control group at postoperative 4 weeks and 2 months[53%(8/15),100%(15/15);60%(9/15),93%(14/15),χ 2=2.863,2.901,P < 0.01]. CONCLUSION: The destroyed hippocampal structure induces the decrease of learning and memory ability of developmental rats. Early interference can increase the quality of neurons and also promote functional development of the nervous system.

Application of Simple Head Cooling Combined with Gangliosides in Neonatal Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy

Objective To investigate the effect of simple head cooling combined with ganglioside therapy on neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE)and its clinical efficacy.Methods A total of 100 children with HIE admitted in the neonatal ward of our hospital from August 2018 to October 2020 were selected as the research objects,and were divided into control group and observation group according to the random number table method,with 50 cases in each group.The control group was treated with gangliosides,and the observation group was treated with simple head cooling combined with gangliosides.Observe and compare the clinical performance improvement time,the level of relevant hematological examination indexes before and after treatment,and the neonatal behavioral neurological assessment(NBNA),clinical efficacy,and adverse reactions.Results The improvement time of convulsions,disturbance of consciousness,pupil changes,hypotonia,and gastrointestinal dysfunction in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group(all P<0.001).After treatment,the NSE,IL-6,CK,CK-MB of the two groups of children were significantly lower than before treatment,and the serum calcium and NBNA scores were significantly higher than before treatment,and the decrease or increase in the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control Group(all P<0.001).The total effective rate of treatment of children in the observation group(82.00%)was higher than that of the control group(62.00%)(P<0.05).There were no obvious adverse reactions in both groups.Conclusion The simple head cooling combined with gangliosides in the treatment of HIE can improve the clinical symptoms,blood test index levels,and NBNA scores.The clinical effect is clear and superior to the single use of gangliosides.

Can we further optimize therapeutic hypothermia for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy?

Perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is a leading cause of neonatal death and disability.Therapeutic hypothermia significantly reduces death and major disability associated with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy;however,many infants still experience lifelong disabilities to movement,sensation and cognition.Clinical guidelines,based on strong clinical and preclinical evidence,recommend therapeutic hypothermia should be started within 6 hours of birth and continued for a period of 72 hours,with a target brain temperature of 33.5 ±0.5℃ for infants with moderate to severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.The clinical guidelines also recommend that infants be re warmed at a rate of 0.5℃ per hour,but this is not based on strong evidence.There are no randomized controlled trials investigating the optimal rate of rewarming after therapeutic hypothermia for infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.Preclinical studies of rewarming are conflicting and results were confounded by treatment with sub-optimal durations of hypothermia.In this review,we evaluate the evidence for the optimal start time,duration and depth of hypothermia,and whether the rate of rewarming after treatment affects brain injury and neurological outcomes.

Neuroprotective effects of ginsenoside Rg1-induced neural stem cell transplantation on hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

Ginsenoside Rgl is the major pharmacologically active component of ginseng, and is reported to have various therapeutic actions. To determine whether it induces the differentiation of neural stem cells, and whether neural stem cell transplantation after induction has therapeutic effects on hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, we cultured neural stem cells in 10-80 ~tM ginsenoside Rgl. Immunohistochemistry revealed that of the concentrations tested, 20 mM ginsenoside Rgl had the greatest differentiation-inducing effect and was the concentration used for subsequent exper- iments. Whole-cell patch clamp showed that neural stem cells induced by 20 jaM ginsenoside Rgl were more mature than non-induced cells. We then established neonatal rat models of hypox- ic-ischemic encephalopathy using the suture method, and ginsenoside Rgl-induced neural stem cells were transplanted via intracerebroventricular injection. These tests confirmed that neural stem cells induced by ginsenoside had fewer pathological lesions and had a significantly better behavioral capacity than model rats that received saline. Transplanted neural stem cells expressed neuron-specific enolase, and were mainly distributed in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. The present data suggest that ginsenoside Rgl-induced neural stem cells can promote the partial recovery of complicated brain functions in models of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Neurodevelopmental Problems in Children at 9 Months of Age Associated with Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

Introduction: Neonatal asphyxia is a major cause of infant morbidity in Cameroon. The aim of this study was to describe the short-term neurological outcome of children following neonatal Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Methodology: We conducted a retrospective cohort study from May 2010 to September 2013. We included 39 exposed cases against 78 non-exposed cases followed-up for at least 9 months. The variables studied were: age, sex, head circumference, neurological sequelae, postural anomalies and motor skills and developmental age/quotient. The data collected were analyzed using Epi info software version 3.5.3. The Fisher Exact Test was used to compare the variables with a significance threshold defined for p Results: We recruited 39 cases for 78 controls. The majority (74.40%) of cases were classified as HIE Sarnat 3 and 25.60% Sarnat 2. Most of the children were aged 12 - 36 months with a mean age of 18 months. The male sex was predominant with a sex ratio of 1.2;and 61.50% of children with HIE had head circumference Conclusion: The frequency of neurological sequelae following HIE was high in our series. Efforts should be made to prevent perinatal asphyxia and to ensure the availability of material and staff trained to help babies’ breath in all the delivery rooms in our maternities.

Changes of Gastric Nitric Oxide in Neonatal Rats with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

In order to study the changes of nitric oxide (NO) in gastric wall in hy-poxic neonatal rats, the activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) of gastric wall was measured and the NADPH-diaphorase biochemistry test was taken to show the distribution of NOS in the gastric wall of neonatal rats. The results showed that compared with normal rats, NOS had no significant changes in the acute hy-poxic rats (P>0. 05). However, in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) neonatal rats, the activity of NOS was markedly increased (P<0. 01), and the NOS positive reactive products were markedly increased in the gastric muscle, but no changes in the mucosal and submucosal layers were observed. The results suggest that the decreased gastric motivation and the gastric mucosal lesions caused by asphyxia are associated with the changes of NO in gastric wall.