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 F2alpha 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.

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 microg/day) of 17beta-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.

Treatment with tamoxifen reduces hypoxic–ischemic brain injury in neonatal rats

Tamoxifen, an estrogen receptor modulator, is neuroprotective in adult rats. Does tamoxifen reduce brain injury in the rat pup? Seven-day-old rat pups had the right carotid artery permanently ligated followed by 2.5 h of hypoxia (8% oxygen). Tamoxifen (10 mg/kg) or vehicle was given i.p. 5 min prior to hypoxia, or 5 min after reoxygenation, with a second dose given 6 h after the first. Brain damage was evaluated by weight deficit of the right hemisphere 22 days following hypoxia and gross and microscopic morphology. Tamoxifen pre-treatment reduced brain weight loss from 21.5+/-4.0% in vehicle pups (n=27) to 2.6+/-2.5% in the treated pups (n=22, P<0.05). Treatment 5 min after reoxygenation reduced brain weight loss from 27.5+/-4.0% in vehicle pups (n=42) to 12.0+/-3.9% in the treated pups (n=30, P<0.05). Tamoxifen reduces brain injury in the neonatal rat.