Mild postischemic hypothermia is neuroprotective in the immature rat neocortex slice

Mild hypothermia as an intervention after perinatal asphyxia may prevent ne urological damage in the newborn. We used stimulus-induced field potentials to monitor recovery from oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) in neocortex slices of 6-8-day-old wistar rats. OGD after a latency of 10.7+/-2.1 min ( mean+/-S.E.) resulted in an anoxic depolarisation with an amplitude of 5.4/-2.4 mV. Mild hypothermia of 31 degreesC (vs. 35 degreesC in the control g roup) was applied for 60 min after end of OGD. The 20, 40, 60 and 80% recov ery of the field potential amplitude was significantly faster in the hypoth ermia group in comparison to the control group. These data indicate that mi ld postischemic hypothermia may have neuroprotective effects after perinata l asphyxia. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserved.