Evaluation of neonatal inflammatory double-hit effect on neurodegeneration and immune response in rats.

Perinatal asphyxia (PA), as it means, total or partial interruption of oxygen supply, and the perinatal inflammation (PI) processes are the most common causes of brain lesions in neonates and are commonly associated. The clinical manifestation is neonatal encephalopathy which affects 3/1000 live births and the incidence is higher in preterm infants. The oxygen deprivation in the central nervous system is a chain reaction which involves neuronal cell death, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and myelination impairment as hallmarks that may be reflected in neurodevelopmental diseases such as autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and cerebral palsy. Moreover, when associated with perinatal infectious processes the sequelae may be potentiated. Animal models that associate perinatal complications, such as PA and PI, are called double-hit inflammatory models and the study of physiopathology of the perinatal complications are pivotal for future therapeutic proposals.