An Experimental Model of Cerebral Palsy from Hypoxia -ischemia in Rat

Cerebral palsy (CP) is as the most prevalent pediatric neurodevelopmental. Hypoxia-ischemia (HI) is identified as the fundamental cause of CP. The primary pathobiological hallmark of CP is damage and inflammation in white matter (WM). Furthermore, the lack of a reliable animal model has been a limiting factor in elucidating disease mechanisms. Hence, this study aimed to introduce a model in pregnant rats to induce CP similar to that observed in humans, offering a new approach to understanding CP mechanisms. In this experimental study, stress conditions were induced to create a CP model in neonatal rats. Initially, the uterine vein was blocked in pregnant rats to induce hypoxic conditions. In the following histological analyses were performed to assess the extent of brain damage of rats in CP and sham groups. Histopathological examinations of the CP group demonstrated significant pathological changes, evident through Hematoxylin –Eosin (H&E) staining, indicating lesions due to tissue necrosis and apoptosis induction. Immunohistochemistry showed inflammation, microgliosis, and leukomalacia in the cortical brain tissues of neonatal rats in the CP groups. Overall, relatively significant damage was observed in the CP group compared to the sham group. The induction of HI in the uterus appears to be a reliable animal model for studying CP mechanisms.