Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine whether GM1 given to the fetus after a hypoxic-ischaemic episode can protect the fetal brain against subsequent insults. Chronically instrumented near-term fetal sheep were subjected to three 10-minute episodes of reversible cerebral ischaemia, repeated at 1 hour apart. Six were given 30 mg/kg of GM1 through the umbilical vein at the end of the first ischaemia for the next 2 hours followed by a continuous infusion of 30 mg/kg/day over 60 hours after ischaemia: these were compared with 7 vehicle-treated controls. The time course of electrocorticographic (ECoG) activity and cytotoxic oedema within the parasagittal cortex were determined with real-time spectral analysis and continuous impedance measurements respectively. GM1 improved recovery of primary oedema and markedly reduced histologic damage (p < 0.001) particularly in the striatum, hippocampus and cortex. At 72 hours after ischaemia, ECoG activity had returned to normal in the GMl-treated group but was still depressed (p < 0.001) in the control group. These results showed that GM1 treatment initialed immediately after a transient hypoxic-ischaemic episode stabilised membrane function and markedly improved neuronal outcome following subsequent insults suggesting its potential therapeutic value in situations of repeated hypoxia-ischaemia in the perinatal period.
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Tan, W., Williams, C., Mallard, C. et al. GM1 ganglioside given after hypoxia-ischaemia markedly protects the fetal sheep brain from subsequent injuries. Pediatr Res 35, 262 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199402000-00045
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199402000-00045