Abstract
This study examined the relationship between the severity of perinatal hypoxia-ischaemia (HI) as determined by 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and the fraction of cells showing evidence of apoptosis (morphological changes and DNA fragmentation). Ten newborn piglets were subjected to HI which caused cerebral total nucleotide triphosphate concentration ([NTP]) to fall to less than 30% of baseline, then resuscitated and observed for 48 hours. Six further animals underwent sham surgery. Brains were examined after staining with haematoxylin and eosin, and by in situ end-labelling of DNA.
Results: Zero to 27% (median 10) of cells showed the features of apoptosis: this fraction was related positively to the time integral of the decrement in [NTP]: exchangeable phosphate pool ratio (a measure of ATP depletion) during HI, and negatively to minimum phosphocreatine: inorganic phosphate ratio (a measure of the severity of secondary energy failure) following resuscitation (p <0.01).
Conclusion: These results demonstrate a relation between impaired cerebral energy metabolism and the appearance of cells undergoing apoptosis, suggesting that perinatal brain injury resulting from HI may be due, in part, to the excessive or inapprpropriate activation of apoptosis.
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Mehmet, H., Yue, X., Squier, M. et al. 158 INCREASED APOPTOSIS IN THE BRAINS OF NEWBORN PIGLETS FOLLOWING TRANSIENT HYPOXIA-ISCHAEMIA. Pediatr Res 36, 29 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199407000-00158
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199407000-00158