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OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of fibroblast growth factor 2 on cognitive function in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury.

METHODS

The randomised controlled study was conducted from January to June 2011 at Mersin University, School of Medicine, Experimental Animals Research Laboratory and Physiology Behaviour Laboratory, Mersin, Turkey. It included 7-d-old male rats that were randomised into four groups: fibroblast growth factor 2-20, fibroblast growth factor 2-40, control and sham. All the rats, except those in the sham group, were kept in a hypoxia chamber containing 8% oxygen for 2 hours following ligation of the right carotid artery. After hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury was induced, 20 ng g-1 or 40 ng g-1 of fibroblast growth factor 2 was administered via the intraperitoneal route. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labelling method was used to evaluate neuronal apoptosis. The Morris water maze (MWM) test was administered to the rats at age 14 weeks.

RESULTS

Of the 78 rats on the study, 18 (23%) were in the sham group, while the other three groups had 20 (25.6%) rats each. The number of apoptotic neurons in the right hemisphere in the experimental groups was significantly lower than in the control group (p=0.004 and p<0.001). The number of apoptotic neurons in the right hemisphere in the fibroblast growth factor 2-40 group was significantly lower than in the fibroblast growth factor 2-20 group (p<0.001). Moreover, fibroblast growth factor 2improved Morris water maze test cognitive performance in a dose-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONS

Fibroblast growth factor 2 treatment reduced neuronal apoptosis and improved cognitive functioning in neonatal rats with experimentally-induced hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury.