The neuroprotective effects of xenon on neonatal rats with white matter damage by regulating expression of microRNA-210 and HIF-1α

Abstract Background Premature birth is a significant health care burden. White matter damage (WMD) is a leading cause of acute mortality and chronic morbidity in preterm birth. Xenon(Xe) is a general anesthetic with neuroprotective effects.We aimed to reveal the molecular basis and neuroprotective mechanism of Xe intervention in treating white matter damage by detecting the expression level of microRNA 210 (miR-210) and hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in brain tissues of 3-day-old neonatal rats. Methods Three-day-old SD rats were randomly divided into sham group(Group A, n=24), lipopolysaccharide(LPS)+hypoxia-ischemia(HI) group (Group B, n=24) and LPS+HI+Xe group (n=72). The onset of Xe inhalation started at 0,2 and 5 hours in subgroups C,D,and E respectively.We investigated the neurobehavioral deficits by performing TUNEL and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and examining the expression of miR-210and HIF-1α in brain tissues via RT-PCR and western blot. Results HE staining revealed distorted cytoarchitecture, tangled nerve fibers and pyknosis along with apoptosis in group B.Xe treatment improved the histological alterations and decreased the number of apoptotic cells in group C pups.Compared to group A,Detection of miR-210 level by RT-PCR. the expression level of miR-210 in neonatal rats' periventricular tissue increased significantly at all time points in group B (p<0.05).While the expression level of miR-210 in brain tissues of group B was significantly lower at 48h and 72h than that of group C(p<0.05).Similarly,Detection of HIF-1α protein by Western blot. The level of HIF-1α protein in group B brain tissues was significantly higher than that of group A at each time point (p<0.05), Xe treatment resulted in a marked increase in HIF-1α in C,D, and E subgroups (P < 0.05, compared togroup B). Conclusions These results demonstrate that the expression of HIF-1α and miR-210 increased in periventricular tissues and Xe could relieve the white matter damage by up-regulating the expression of HIF-1α and its target gene miR-210.The Xe therapeutic time window was within 5 hours after intervention, the sooner the better.