Hyperbaric oxygen therapy alleviates intestinal and brain damage in experimental necrotizing enterocolitis

Area of Science:

• Neonatal critical care
• Gastroenterology
• Hyperbaric medicine

Background:

• Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a leading gastrointestinal emergency in newborns.
• Etiology involves bacterial colonization, enteral feeding, and hypoxic-ischemic injury.
• Limited preventative strategies exist, and NEC has severe neurological consequences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as a treatment for experimental necrotizing enterocolitis.
• To assess HBOT's impact on mortality, intestinal integrity, and neurological outcomes in a neonatal rat model.

Main Methods:

• A rat pup model of NEC was established using hyperosmolar formula, hypothermia, and hypoxia.
• Rat pups received HBOT at 3 absolute atmospheres for 2 hours daily over 1-2 days.
• Evaluated mortality rates, brain cell counts, and molecular markers in the intestine and hippocampus.

Main Results:

• HBOT significantly reduced mortality in rats with experimental NEC.
• Preserved hippocampal cell numbers and increased expression of key antioxidant and intestinal integrity markers (nitric oxide synthase, intestinal fatty acid-binding protein, superoxide dismutase 3).
• Elevated hippocampal superoxide dismutase 3 levels, indicating enhanced antioxidant defense.

Conclusions:

• HBOT demonstrates therapeutic potential for necrotizing enterocolitis.
• It mitigates intestinal and brain lesions, preserves intestinal cell integrity, and enhances antioxidant mechanisms in an experimental model.
• HBOT may offer a novel treatment strategy to improve survival and neurological outcomes in newborns with NEC.