• Login
    View Item 
    •   NWU-IR Home
    • Research Output
    • Faculty of Health Sciences
    • View Item
    •   NWU-IR Home
    • Research Output
    • Faculty of Health Sciences
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Nitric oxide production in the striatum and cerebellum of a rat model of preterm global perinatal asphyxia

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Nitric_oxide_production.pdf (1.195Mb)
    Date
    2017
    Author
    Barkhuizen, M.
    Van de Berg, W.D.J.
    De Vente, J.
    Blanco, C.E.
    Gavilanes, A.W.D.
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    Encephalopathy due to perinatal asphyxia (PA) is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality in the period around birth. Preterm infants are especially at risk for cognitive, attention and motor impairments. Therapy for this subgroup is limited to supportive care, and new targets are thus urgently needed. Post-asphyxic excitotoxicity is partially mediated by excessive nitric oxide (NO) release. The aims of this study were to determine the timing and distribution of nitric oxide (NO) production after global PA in brain areas involved in motor regulation and coordination. This study focused on the rat striatum and cerebellum, as these areas also affect cognition or attention, in addition to their central role in motor control. NO/peroxynitrite levels were determined empirically with a fluorescent marker on postnatal days P5, P8 and P12. The distributions of neuronal NO synthase (nNOS), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), astroglia and caspase-3 were determined with immunohistochemistry. Apoptosis was additionally assessed by measuring caspase-3-like activity from P2-P15. On P5 and P8, increased intensity of NO-associated fluorescence and cGMP immunoreactivity after PA was apparent in the striatum, but not in the cerebellum. No changes in nNOS immunoreactivity or astrocytes were observed. Modest changes in caspase-3-activity were observed between groups, but the overall time course of apoptosis over the first 11 days of life was similar between PA and controls. Altogether, these data suggest that PA increases NO/peroxynitrite levels during the first week after birth within the striatum, but not within the cerebellum, without marked astrogliosis. Therapeutic benefits of interventions that reduce endogenous NO production would likely be greater during this time frame
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10394/20873
    https://doi.org/10.1007/s12640-017-9700-6
    https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12640-017-9700-6
    Collections
    • Faculty of Health Sciences [2404]

    Copyright © North-West University
    Contact Us | Send Feedback
    Theme by 
    Atmire NV
     

     

    Browse

    All of NWU-IR Communities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsAdvisor/SupervisorThesis TypeThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsAdvisor/SupervisorThesis Type

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    Copyright © North-West University
    Contact Us | Send Feedback
    Theme by 
    Atmire NV