Inhalation of growth factors and apo-transferrin to protect and repair the hypoxic-ischemic brain

M. GUARDIA CLAUSI P.M. PAEZ L.A. PASQUINI J.M. PASQUINI

PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH

ACADEMIC PRESS LTD-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2016

1043-6618

Hypoxic-ischemic brain damage is a major contributor to chronic neurologicaldysfunction and acute mortality in infants as well as in adults. In this review, we summarizerecent publications demonstrating that the intranasal administration (INA) of apo-transferrin(aTf) and different growth factors provides neuroprotection to the mouse and rat brain after ahypoxic-ischemic event. The intranasal delivery of growth factors such as insulin-like growthfactor-1 (IGF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been found to improveneurological function and reduce infarct size in adult rats after a hypoxic-ischemic event. On theother hand, INA of aTf and epidermal growth factor (EGF) were effective in reducing whitematter damage and inflammation and in promoting the proliferation and survival ofoligodendroglial progenitor cells (OPCs) in a model of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.Therefore, data summarized in this review suggest that INA of growth factors and aTf can beused in combination in clinical treatment in order to protect and repair the hypoxic-ischemicbrain.