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Updated: May 24, 2026

Short-Duration Hypothermia Induction in Rats using Models for Studies examining Clinical Relevance and Mechanisms
Published on: March 3, 2021
Neuroprotective mechanisms of hypothermia in brain ischaemia
Midori A Yenari1, Hyung Soo Han
1Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143-0248, USA. Yenari@alum.mit.edu
Abstract:
Cooling can reduce primary injury and prevent secondary injury to the brain after insults in certain clinical settings and in animal models of brain insult. The mechanisms that underlie the protective effects of cooling - also known as therapeutic hypothermia - are slowly beginning to be understood. Hypothermia influences multiple aspects of brain physiology in the acute, subacute and chronic stages of ischaemia. It affects pathways leading to excitotoxicity, apoptosis, inflammation and free radical production, as well as blood flow, metabolism and blood-brain barrier integrity. Hypothermia may also influence neurogenesis, gliogenesis and angiogenesis after injury. It is likely that no single factor can explain the neuroprotection provided by hypothermia, but understanding its myriad effects may shed light on important neuroprotective mechanisms.
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