Neuroprotection with Estradiol in Experimental Perinatal Asphyxia: A New Approach

Abstract

Perinatal asphyxia (PA) brain-induced injury is one of the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality in term and preterm neonates, accounting for 23% of neonatal deaths globally. Following PA, approximately 45% of newborns die and 25% have permanent neurological deficits including cerebral palsy, mental retardation and developmental delay, learning disabilities, eyesight and hearing problems, and different issues in school readiness. Brain injury occuring early during development, results in significant damage in different areas of the central nervous systems (CNS) such as: cortex, hippocampus, neostriatum, cerebellum and substantia nigra. Although different treatments have been used so far, only hypothermia is recommended as a routine in clinical practice . In the last few years, the ovarian hormone 17b-estradiol has emerged as a potential neuroprotector agent against several neuropathologycal disease. We studied the neuroprotective actions of estradiol in PA animals and determined that the neuroptotective actions of estradiol are produced by the activation of ERα and IGF-IR pathway.