Dexamethasone prevents hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in the neonatal rat

Abstract

In our study the effect of dexamethasone 3 hours before the hypoxic-ischemic brain damage were investigated in neonatal rats. 7 day old rats were undergone right CCA ligation followed by 2 hours hypoxic exposure. 7 day after the insult the brains were sectioned coronally +2, -2 mm from bregma and immersed in TTC. In vehicle treated group there was a marked infarction throughout cortex and striatum, disintegration of the structures of the right hemisphere and liquefication. In the Ist coronal slice 18.33% and in the IInd 32.76% of infarct area was detected. H&E and Nissl stainings also showed extensive neuronal degeneration. Dexamethasone group had no gross infarction and histopathological examination. showed only mild degree of ischemic changes.