Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026
A Versatile Murine Model of Subcortical White Matter Stroke for the Study of Axonal Degeneration and White Matter Neurobiology
Published on: March 17, 2016
Pretreatment with magnesium sulfate attenuates white matter damage by preventing cell death of developing
Takahiro Seyama1, Yoshimasa Kamei2, Takayuki Iriyama1
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Aim:
Antenatal maternal administration of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4 ) reduces cerebral palsy in preterm infants. However, it remains controversial as to whether it also reduces occurrence of white matter damage, or periventricular leukomalacia. We assessed the effect of MgSO4 against white matter damage induced by hypoxic-ischemic insult using a neonatal rat model and culture of premyelinating oligodendrocytes (pre-OL).
Methods:
Rat pups at postnatal day (P) 6 were administered either MgSO4 or vehicle intraperitoneally before hypoxic-ischemic insult (unilateral ligation of the carotid artery followed by 6% oxygen for 1 h). The population of oligodendrocyte (OL) markers and CD-68-positive microglia at P11, and TdT-mediated biotin-16-dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells at P8 were evaluated in pericallosal white matter. Primary cultures of mouse pre-OL were subjected to oxygen glucose deprivation condition, and the lactate dehydrogenase release from culture cells was evaluated to assess cell viability.
Results:
Pretreatment with MgSO4 attenuated the loss of OL markers, such as myelin basic protein and Olig2, in ipsilateral pericallosal white matter and decreased the number of CD-68-positive microglia and TUNEL-positive cells in vivo. Pretreatment with MgSO4 also inhibited lactate dehydrogenase release from pre-OL induced by oxygen glucose deprivation in vitro.
Conclusion:
Pretreatment with MgSO4 attenuates white matter damage by preventing cell death of pre-OL.
Related Concept Videos
02:42Transcription Attenuation in Prokaryotes
There are several different mechanisms used to attenuate transcription. In ribosome mediated...
02:49Classifying Matter by State
01:18Autophagic Cell Death
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and...
01:30Overview of Cell Death
Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the...
03:35Classifying Matter by Composition
According to its composition, the matter can be classified into two broad categories — pure substances and mixtures.
A pure substance is a form of matter that has a constant composition throughout with uniform properties. For example, any sample of sucrose has the same composition and same physical properties, such as melting point, color, and sweetness, regardless of the source from which it is isolated.
A mixture is composed of two or...
02:57Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter