1
|
Arruda BP, Cruz-Ochoa NA, Serra F, Xavier GF, Nogueira MI, Takada SH. Melatonin attenuates developmental deficits and prevents hippocampal injuries in male and female rats subjected to neonatal anoxia. Int J Dev Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38858858 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia in preterm infants is a clinical condition that has been associated with cognitive and behavioral disturbances for which treatment strategies are strongly required. Melatonin administration following brain insults has been considered a promising therapeutic strategy due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Not surprisingly, it has been extensively studied for preventing disturbances following brain injury. This study evaluated the effects of melatonin on developmental disturbances, memory disruption, and hippocampal cell loss induced by neonatal anoxia in rats. Neonatal Wistar rats were subjected to anoxia and subsequently treated with melatonin. Later, maturation of physical characteristics, ontogeny of reflexes, learning and memory in the Morris water maze (MWM), and estimates of the number of hippocampal neurons, were evaluated. Melatonin treatment attenuated (1) female anoxia-induced delay in superior incisor eruption, (2) female anoxia-induced vibrissae placement reflexes, and (3) male and female anoxia-induced hippocampal neuronal loss. Melatonin also promoted an increase (5) in swimming speeds in the MWM. In addition, PCA analysis showed positive associations between the acoustic startle, auditory canal open, and free fall righting parameters and negative associations between the male vehicle anoxia group and the male melatonin anoxia group. Therefore, melatonin treatment attenuates both anoxia-induced developmental deficits and hippocampal neuronal loss.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Petrucelli Arruda
- Neurosciences Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Natalia Andrea Cruz-Ochoa
- Neurosciences Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernando Serra
- Santos Young Doctor Program, Municipal Secretary of Education of Santos, Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Gilberto Fernando Xavier
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria Inês Nogueira
- Neurosciences Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Silvia Honda Takada
- Neurogenetic Laboratory, Mathematic, Computation and Cognition Center, Neuroscience and Cognition Program, Federal University of ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mabry S, Wilson EN, Bradshaw JL, Gardner JJ, Fadeyibi O, Vera E, Osikoya O, Cushen SC, Karamichos D, Goulopoulou S, Cunningham RL. Sex and age differences in social and cognitive function in offspring exposed to late gestational hypoxia. Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:81. [PMID: 37951901 PMCID: PMC10640736 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00557-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gestational sleep apnea is a hypoxic sleep disorder that affects 8-26% of pregnancies and increases the risk for central nervous system dysfunction in offspring. Specifically, there are sex differences in the sensitivity of the fetal hippocampus to hypoxic insults, and hippocampal impairments are associated with social dysfunction, repetitive behaviors, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. Yet, it is unclear whether gestational sleep apnea impacts these hippocampal-associated functions and if sex and age modify these effects. To examine the relationship between gestational sleep apnea and hippocampal-associated behaviors, we used chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) to model late gestational sleep apnea in pregnant rats. We hypothesized that late gestational CIH would produce sex- and age-specific social, anxiety-like, repetitive, and cognitive impairments in offspring. METHODS Timed pregnant Long-Evans rats were exposed to CIH or room air normoxia from GD 15-19. Behavioral testing of offspring occurred during either puberty or young adulthood. To examine gestational hypoxia-induced behavioral phenotypes, we quantified hippocampal-associated behaviors (social function, repetitive behaviors, anxiety-like behaviors, and spatial memory and learning), hippocampal neuronal activity (glutamatergic NMDA receptors, dopamine transporter, monoamine oxidase-A, early growth response protein 1, and doublecortin), and circulating hormones in offspring. RESULTS Late gestational CIH induced sex- and age-specific differences in social, repetitive, and memory functions in offspring. In female pubertal offspring, CIH impaired social function, increased repetitive behaviors, and elevated circulating corticosterone levels but did not impact memory. In contrast, CIH transiently induced spatial memory dysfunction in pubertal male offspring but did not impact social or repetitive functions. Long-term effects of gestational CIH on social behaviors were only observed in female offspring, wherein CIH induced social disengagement and suppression of circulating corticosterone levels in young adulthood. No effects of gestational CIH were observed in anxiety-like behaviors, hippocampal neuronal activity, or circulating testosterone and estradiol levels, regardless of sex or age of offspring. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that hypoxia-associated pregnancy complications during late gestation can increase the risk for behavioral and physiological outcomes in offspring, such as social dysfunction, repetitive behaviors, and cognitive impairment, that are dependent on sex and age.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steve Mabry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
| | - E Nicole Wilson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
| | - Jessica L Bradshaw
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
| | - Jennifer J Gardner
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
- Department of Physiology and Anatomy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
| | - Oluwadarasimi Fadeyibi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
| | - Edward Vera
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
- Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
| | - Oluwatobiloba Osikoya
- Department of Physiology and Anatomy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
| | - Spencer C Cushen
- Department of Physiology and Anatomy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
- Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
| | - Dimitrios Karamichos
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
- North Texas Eye Research Institute, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3430 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
| | - Styliani Goulopoulou
- Departments of Basic Sciences, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Rebecca L Cunningham
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mabry S, Wilson EN, Bradshaw JL, Gardner JJ, Fadeyibi O, Vera E, Osikoya O, Cushen SC, Karamichos D, Goulopoulou S, Cunningham RL. Sex and age differences in social and cognitive function in offspring exposed to late gestational hypoxia. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2507737. [PMID: 37333114 PMCID: PMC10275064 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2507737/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Background Gestational sleep apnea affects 8-26% of pregnancies and can increase the risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with social dysfunction, repetitive behaviors, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. To examine the relationship between gestational sleep apnea and ASD-associated behaviors, we used a chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) protocol between gestational days (GD) 15-19 in pregnant rats to model late gestational sleep apnea. We hypothesized that late gestational CIH would produce sex- and age-specific social, mood, and cognitive impairments in offspring. Methods Timed pregnant Long-Evans rats were exposed to CIH or room air normoxia from GD 15-19. Behavioral testing of offspring occurred during either puberty or young adulthood. To examine ASD-associated phenotypes, we quantified ASD-associated behaviors (social function, repetitive behaviors, anxiety-like behaviors, and spatial memory and learning), hippocampal activity (glutamatergic NMDA receptors, dopamine transporter, monoamine oxidase-A, EGR-1, and doublecortin), and circulating hormones in offspring. Results Late gestational CIH induced sex- and age-specific differences in social, repetitive and memory functions in offspring. These effects were mostly transient and present during puberty. In female pubertal offspring, CIH impaired social function, increased repetitive behaviors, and increased circulating corticosterone levels, but did not impact memory. In contrast, CIH transiently induced spatial memory dysfunction in pubertal male offspring but did not impact social or repetitive functions. Long-term effects of gestational CIH were only observed in female offspring, wherein CIH induced social disengagement and suppression of circulating corticosterone levels in young adulthood. No effects of gestational CIH were observed on anxiety-like behaviors, hippocampal activity, circulating testosterone levels, or circulating estradiol levels, regardless of sex or age of offspring. Conclusions Our results indicate that hypoxia-associated pregnancy complications during late gestation can increase the risk for ASD-associated behavioral and physiological outcomes, such as pubertal social dysfunction, corticosterone dysregulation, and memory impairments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steve Mabry
- UNTHSC: University of North Texas Health Science Center
| | | | | | | | | | - Edward Vera
- UNTHSC: University of North Texas Health Science Center
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sun Y, Jiang S. Prenatal Monitoring of Perinatal Pregnant Women and Fetus Based on a Smart Electronic Fetal Monitoring System. JOURNAL OF HEALTHCARE ENGINEERING 2022; 2022:5073636. [PMID: 36437815 PMCID: PMC9699735 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5073636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the study is to study the prenatal monitoring of perinatal pregnant women based on a smart electronic fetal monitoring system. Through the comparative analysis of 230 pregnant women in maternal and child health care hospital who received fetal heart monitoring during the perinatal period and those who did not receive fetal heart monitoring during the perinatal period, cases of fetal distress, neonatal asphyxia, and cesarean section were observed in both groups. Results show that the incidences of fetal complications and cesarean sections in the experimental group were 16.36% and 36.82%, which was significantly higher than 4.50% and 17.50% in the control group(p < 0.05); the neonatal mild and severe asphyxia rates in the experimental group were 3.18% and 1.36%, which were significantly lower than 9.50% and 6.50% in the control group (p < 0.05). The experimental results show that the correct application of fetal heart rate monitoring in the perinatal period can aid in early detection and dealing with fetal distress and reduce the occurrence of various complications such as neonatal asphyxia. It is worthy to be popularized and applied in clinics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Sun
- Huai'an Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Huai'an 221006, China
| | - Su'e Jiang
- Huai'an Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Huai'an 221006, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wang B, Zeng H, Liu J, Sun M. Effects of Prenatal Hypoxia on Nervous System Development and Related Diseases. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:755554. [PMID: 34759794 PMCID: PMC8573102 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.755554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The fetal origins of adult disease (FOAD) hypothesis, which was proposed by David Barker in the United Kingdom in the late 1980s, posited that adult chronic diseases originated from various adverse stimuli in early fetal development. FOAD is associated with a wide range of adult chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and neurological disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and autism. Intrauterine hypoxia/prenatal hypoxia is one of the most common complications of obstetrics and could lead to alterations in brain structure and function; therefore, it is strongly associated with neurological disorders such as cognitive impairment and anxiety. However, how fetal hypoxia results in neurological disorders remains unclear. According to the existing literature, we have summarized the causes of prenatal hypoxia, the effects of prenatal hypoxia on brain development and behavioral phenotypes, and the possible molecular mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wang
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Hongtao Zeng
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jingliu Liu
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Miao Sun
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Rocha R, Andrade L, Alves T, Sá S, Pereira PA, Dulce Madeira M, Cardoso A. Behavioral and brain morphological analysis of non-inflammatory and inflammatory rat models of preterm brain injury. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 185:107540. [PMID: 34673263 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Investigations using preclinical models of preterm birth have much contributed, together with human neuropathological studies, for advances in our understanding of preterm brain injury. Here, we evaluated whether the neurodevelopmental and behavioral consequences of preterm birth induced by a non-inflammatory model of preterm birth using mifepristone would differ from those after inflammatory prenatal transient hypoxia-ischemia (TSHI) model. Pregnant Wistar rats were either injected with mifepristone, and pups were delivered on embryonic day 21 (ED21 group), or laparotomized on the 18th day of gestation for 60 min of uterine arteries occlusion. Rat pups were tested postnatally for characterization of developmental milestones and, after weaning, they were behaviorally tested for anxiety and for spatial learning and memory. One month later, brains were processed for quantification of doublecortin (DCX)- and neuropeptide Y (NPY)-immunoreactive cells, and cholinergic varicosities in the hippocampus. ED21 rats did not differ from controls with respect to neonatal developmental milestones, anxiety, learning and memory functions, and neurochemical parameters. Conversely, in TSHI rats the development of neonatal reflexes was delayed, the levels of anxiety were reduced, and spatial learning and memory was impaired; in the hippocampus, the total number of DCX and NPY cells was increased, and the density of cholinergic varicosities was reduced. With these results we suggest that a preterm birth, in a non-inflammatory prenatal environment, does not significantly change neonatal development and adult neurologic outcome. On other hand, prenatal hypoxia and ischemia (inflammation) modifies developmental trajectory, learning and memory, neurogenesis, and NPY GABAergic and cholinergic brain systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Rocha
- Department of Biomedicine - Unit of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal; Center of Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal; Pediatric Neurology Department, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, 4050-651 Porto, Portugal; Pediatric Emergency Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário S. João, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Leonardo Andrade
- Department of Biomedicine - Unit of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Tânia Alves
- Department of Biomedicine - Unit of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Susana Sá
- Department of Biomedicine - Unit of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal; Center of Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro A Pereira
- Department of Biomedicine - Unit of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal; Center of Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - M Dulce Madeira
- Department of Biomedicine - Unit of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal; Center of Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Armando Cardoso
- Department of Biomedicine - Unit of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal; Center of Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|