D-085 | Neuroprotection through environmental enrichment in severe perinatal asphyxia: Correlation between morphological and behavioral markers in the murine cerebellum

Disorders of the Nervous System
Author: Tamara Kobiec | Email: tamara.kobiec@gmail.com

Tamara Kobiec^1°2°, Marcos D’Ambrósio Andrade^2°3°, Claudia Mardaraz^2°,  Sofía Bordet^1°2°, Carlos Kusnier^2°, María Malena García^1°2°, Juan Pablo Luaces^2°,  Francisco Capani^2°

^1° Centro de Investigaciones en Psicología y Psicopedagogía (CIPP), Facultad de Psicología y Psicopedagogía, Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
^2° Centro de Altos Estudios en Ciencias Humanas y de la Salud (CAECIHS.CONICET), Universidad Abierta Interamericana (UAI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
^3° Facultad de Medicina, Fundación H. A. Barceló, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Perinatal asphyxia (PA) is an obstetric complication characterized by an interruption in oxygen supply around the time of birth, which affects the development of the nervous system. Environmental enrichment (EE) is an animal housing paradigm that includes different stimulations, and is presented as a promising strategy in PA.
A severe PA model was conducted with Sprague Dawley rats, following Bjelke et al. (1991). The rats were housed in standard (ST) or enriched environment cages (EE). Control (CTL-ST and CTL-EE) and asphyxiated groups (PA-ST and PA-EE) were established.
GFAP localization was analyzed in coronal sections of the cerebellum using immunohistochemistry. In the molecular layer, a disruption in the pattern of Bergmann glia was observed in the PA, with partial recovery in the EE. In the granular layer, the reactive area was quantified, without significant differences.
Significant differences were found in the righting reflex between PA-ST and CTL-EE, with best performance of CTL. In the walking reflex, significant differences were observed depending on birth status (PA or CTL), with better performance of CTL. In the negative geotaxis test, significant differences were observed between CTL-EE and PA-ST, with poorer performance of PA. In limb grip strength, significant differences were found between PA-ST and the other groups.
Therefore, the offspring subjected to PA were affected in the development of their nervous system, which could be partially improved by EE