查看文章

Maternal infection is a risk factor for periventricular leukomalacia and cerebral palsy (CP) in neonates. We have previously demonstrated hypomyelination and motor deficits in newborn rabbits, as seen in patients with cerebral palsy, following maternal intrauterine endotoxin administration. This was associated with increased microglial activation, primarily involving the periventricular region (PVR). In this study we hypothesized that maternal intrauterine inflammation leads to a pro-inflammatory environment in the PVR that is associated with microglial activation in the first 2 postnatal weeks.

Timed pregnant New Zealand white rabbits underwent laparotomy on gestational day 28 (G28). They were randomly divided to receive lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 20 μg/kg in 1 mL saline) (Endotoxin group) or saline (1 mL) (control saline, CS group), administrated along the wall of the uterus. The PVR from the …