Recent studies show helium may be one kind of neuroprotective gas. This study aimed to examine the short and long-term neuroprotective effects of helium preconditioning in an established neonatal cerebral hypoxia-ischemia (HI) model. Seven-day-old rat pups were subjected to left common carotid artery ligation and then 90 min of hypoxia (8% oxygen at 37°C). The preconditioning group inhaled 70% helium-30% oxygen for 5 min three times with an interval of 5 min 24h before HI insult. Pups were decapitated 24h after HI and brain morphological injury was assessed by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining, Nissl and TUNEL staining. Caspase-3 activity in the brain was measured. Five weeks after HI, postural reflex testing and Morris water maze testing were conducted. Our results showed that helium preconditioning reduced the infarct ratio, increased the number of survival neurons, and inhibited apoptosis at the early stage of HI insult. Furthermore, the sensorimotor function and the cognitive function were improved significantly in rats with helium preconditioning. The results indicate that helium preconditioning attenuates HI induced brain injury.
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