Neuroprotective role of Palmitoylethanolamide in a rat model of perinatal hypoxia-ischemia

MARÍA INÉS HERRERA, CECILIA QUARRACINO, RODOLFO KOLLIKER-FRERS, FERNANDO RODRÍGUEZ DE FONSECAC, EDUARDO BLANCO CALVOD, FRANCISCO CAPANI

Congreso; Meeting Falan; 2016

Falan

Neuroprotective role of Palmitoylethanolamide in a rat model of perinatal hypoxia-ischemiaMaría Inés Herrera a,b, Cecilia Quarracino b, Rodolfo Kolliker-Frers b, Fernando Rodríguez de Fonsecac, Eduardo Blanco Calvod, Francisco Capani b,e,fa.Centro de Investigaciones en Psicología y Psicopedagogía, Universidad Católica Argentina (CIPP-UCA)b.Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas ?Prof. Dr. Alberto C. Taquini? (ININCA)-UBA-CONICET. c.Laboratorio de Medicina Regenerativa, IBIMA-Hospital Carlos Haya, Pabellón de Gobierno, Málaga, España.d.Departament de Pedagogia i Psicologia, Facultat d?Educació, Psicologia i Treball Social, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, España.e.Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Católica Argentina. f.Departamento de Biología, Universidad Argentina John F. Kennedy.g.Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.Perinatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) constitutes a prototype of obstetric complications occurring when oxygen availability is interrupted. This serious health problem occurs still with great incidence whenever delivery is prolonged, despite improvements in perinatal care. Perinatal HI continues to be a determinant of mortality and neurological morbidity. The absence of an established treatment for PA encourages research on neuroprotective mechanisms. N- acylethanolamides have exerted anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective actions via Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-alpha (PPAR-α) activation in several models of brain injury. However, its role in perinatal hypoxic brain injury remains still unknown. Therefore, the aim of our study was to evaluate the neuroprotective role of Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) treatment in perinatal HI. Perinatal HI was induced in Sprague Dawley rats by unilateral common carotid artery ligation followed by systemic hypoxia produced by the inhalation of 8% oxygen/balance nitrogen, at constant temperature (37°C). Immunohistochemistry results revealed an increase in the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive astrocytes as a consequence of perinatal HI. A reduction in the number of GFAP-positive astrocytes was observed due to PEA treatment (10 mg/kg). However, no behavioral correlate was observed. Further studies should attempt to determine the potential neuroprotective role of PEA in perinatal HI.