Neuroprotective effect of antioxidants in neonatal rat brain after hypoxia- ischemia

Perinatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) encephalopathy is one of the main causes of mortality and long-term disabilities in newborns. The adverse effect of birth asphyxia (deprivation of oxygen and glucose) in the brain can be devastating, resulting in death or severe neurological consequences such as mental retardation, learning disabilities, epilepsy and cerebral palsy. In spite of the advances in neonatology, The World Health Organization estimates that 4 to 9 million neonates suffer from birth asphyxia each year in the world, thus, the identification of new treatments is urgently needed. Nowadays, there are experimental evidences demonstrating that some antioxidant compound are effective in different animal models of HI brain injury, being able to reduce infarct volume and neuronal loss. In this review we will focus on the neuroprotective effect of resveratrol (RVT) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in experimental HI encephalopathy and also discuss the possible synergy between different antioxidant agents.