Epinephrine vs placebo in neonatal resuscitation: ROSC and brain MRS/MRI in term piglets.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the effect of epinephrine vs placebo on return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and brain magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging (MRS/MRI) in newborn piglets with hypoxic cardiac arrest (CA). METHODS: Twenty-five piglets underwent hypoxia induced by endotracheal tube clamping until CA. The animals were randomized to CPR + intravenous epinephrine or CPR + placebo (normal saline). The primary outcome was ROSC, and secondary outcomes included time-to-ROSC, brain MRS/MRI, and composite endpoint of death or severe brain MRS/MRI abnormality. RESULTS: ROSC was more frequent in animals treated with epinephrine than placebo; 10/13 vs 4/12, RR = 2.31 (95% CI: 1.09-5.77). We found no difference in time-to-ROSC (120 (113-211) vs 153 (116-503) seconds, p = 0.7) or 6-h survival (7/13 vs 3/12, p = 0.2). Among survivors, there was no difference between groups in brain MRS/MRI. We found no difference in the composite endpoint of death or severe brain MRS/MRI abnormality; RR = 0.7 (95% CI: 0.37-1.19). CONCLUSIONS: Resuscitation with epinephrine compared to placebo improved ROSC frequency after hypoxic CA in newborn piglets. We found no difference in time-to-ROSC or the composite endpoint of death or severe brain MRS/MRI abnormality. IMPACT: In a newborn piglet model of hypoxic cardiac arrest, resuscitation with epinephrine compared to placebo improved the rate of return of spontaneous circulation and more than doubled the 6-h survival. Brain MRS/MRI biomarkers were used to evaluate the effect of epinephrine vs placebo. We found no difference between groups in the composite endpoint of death or severe brain MRS/MRI abnormality. This study adds to the limited evidence regarding the effect and safety of epinephrine; the lack of high-quality evidence from randomized clinical trials was highlighted in the latest ILCOR 2020 guidelines, and newborn animal studies were specifically requested.

No Differences in Cerebral Immunohistochemical Markers following Remote Ischemic Postconditioning in Newborn Piglets with Hypoxia-Ischemia.

BACKGROUND: Despite therapeutic hypothermia, neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy still develop neurological disabilities. We have previously investigated neuroprotection by remote ischemic postconditioning (RIPC) in newborn piglets following hypoxia-ischemia (HI). The aim of this study was to further investigate potential effects of RIPC on cerebral immunohistochemical markers related to edema, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. METHODS: Brain expression of aquaporin 4, caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma 2, and vascular endothelial growth factor was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 23 piglets, randomly selected from a larger study of RIPC after HI. Twenty animals were subjected to 45 minutes of HI and randomized to treatment with and without RIPC, while three animals were randomized to sham procedures. RIPC was conducted by four conditioning cycles of 5-minute ischemia and reperfusion. Piglets were euthanized 72 hours after the HI insult. RESULTS: Piglets subjected to HI treated with and without RIPC were similar at baseline and following the HI insult. However, piglets randomized to HI alone had longer duration of low blood pressure during the insult. We found no differences in the brain expression of the immunohistochemical markers in any regions of interest or the whole brain between the two HI groups. CONCLUSION: RIPC did not influence brain expression of markers related to edema, apoptosis, or angiogenesis in newborn piglets at 72 hours after HI. These results support previous findings of limited neuroprotective effect by this RIPC protocol. Our results may have been affected by the time of assessment, use of fentanyl as anesthetic, or limitations related to our immunohistochemical methods.

Early changes in cerebral metabolism after perinatal hypoxia-ischemia: a study in normothermic and hypothermic piglets.

Introduction: Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) after a perinatal insult is a dynamic process that evolves over time. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is standard treatment for severe to moderate HIE. There is a lack of evidence on the temporal change and interrelation of the underlying mechanisms that constitute HIE under normal and hypothermic conditions. We aimed to describe early changes in intracerebral metabolism after a hypoxic-ischemic insult in piglets treated with and without TH and in controls. Methods: Three devices were installed into the left hemisphere of 24 piglets: a probe measuring intracranial pressure, a probe measuring blood flow and oxygen tension, and a microdialysis catheter measuring lactate, glucose, glycerol, and pyruvate. After a standardized hypoxic ischemic insult, the piglets were randomized to either TH or normothermia. Results: Glycerol, a marker of cell lysis, increased immediately after the insult in both groups. There was a secondary increase in glycerol in normothermic piglets but not in piglets treated with TH. Intracerebral pressure, blood flow, oxygen tension, and extracellular lactate remained stable during the secondary increase in glycerol. Conclusion: This exploratory study depicted the development of the pathophysiological mechanisms in the hours following a perinatal hypoxic-ischemic insult with and without TH and controls.

No Added Neuroprotective Effect of Remote Ischemic Postconditioning and Therapeutic Hypothermia After Mild Hypoxia-Ischemia in a Piglet Model.

Introduction: Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a major cause of death and disability in children worldwide. Apart from supportive care, the only established treatment for HIE is therapeutic hypothermia (TH). As TH is only partly neuroprotective, there is a need for additional therapies. Intermittent periods of limb ischemia, called remote ischemic postconditioning (RIPC), have been shown to be neuroprotective after HIE in rats and piglets. However, it is unknown whether RIPC adds to the effect of TH. We tested the neuroprotective effect of RIPC with TH compared to TH alone using magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI/MRS) in a piglet HIE model. Methods: Thirty-two male and female piglets were subjected to 45-min global hypoxia-ischemia (HI). Twenty-six animals were randomized to TH or RIPC plus TH; six animals received supportive care only. TH was induced through whole-body cooling. RIPC was induced 1 h after HI by four cycles of 5 min of ischemia and 5 min of reperfusion in both hind limbs. Primary outcome was Lac/NAA ratio at 24 h measured by MRS. Secondary outcomes were NAA/Cr, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), arterial spin labeling, aEGG score, and blood oxygen dependent (BOLD) signal measured by MRI/MRS at 6, 12, and 24 h after the hypoxic-ischemic insult. Results: All groups were subjected to a comparable but mild insult. No difference was found between the two intervention groups in Lac/NAA ratio, NAA/Cr ratio, DWI, arterial spin labeling, or BOLD signal. NAA/Cr ratio at 24 h was higher in the two intervention groups compared to supportive care only. There was no difference in aEEG score between the three groups. Conclusion: Treatment with RIPC resulted in no additional neuroprotection when combined with TH. However, insult severity was mild and only evaluated at 24 h after HI with a short MRS echo time. In future studies more subtle neurological effects may be detected with increased MRS echo time and post mortem investigations, such as brain histology. Thus, the possible neuroprotective effect of RIPC needs further evaluation.