Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology
-
J Neuroimmune Pharmacol · Jun 2016
Dexmedetomidine Postconditioning Reduces Brain Injury after Brain Hypoxia-Ischemia in Neonatal Rats.
Perinatal asphyxia can lead to death and severe disability. Brain hypoxia-ischemia (HI) injury is the major pathophysiology contributing to death and severe disability after perinatal asphyxia. Here, seven-day old Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to left brain HI. ⋯ Atipamezole inhibited this dexmedetomidine effect. Our results suggest that dexmedetomidine postconditioning reduces HI-induced brain injury in the neonatal rats. This effect may be mediated by α2 adrenergic receptor activation that inhibits inflammation in the ischemic brain tissues.