mild hypoxia postconditioning induces hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha expression and improves the neurobehavioral abilities of rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage

Background: while severe hypoxia is known to contribute to neurotoxicity and lead to abnormal behavior, mild hypoxia may have beneficial effects mediated through endogenous adaptive responses. objectives: the present study aimed to investigate the effects of mild hypoxia postconditioning and long-term neurobehavioral ability rehabilitation after hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (hibd). methods: seven-day-old rats underwent left carotid ligation followed by 2 hours of hypoxia stress. rats received different protocols of mild hypoxia postconditioning for 5 days and underwent neurobehavioral testing during the last week of the study. hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (hif-1a) expression was assessed, and neurobehavioral ability assays were performed. results: compared with the hibd group, rats postconditioning with mild hypoxia showed increased hif-1a expression, and their brain functions were better in neurobehavioral analyses. the rehabilitation of brain functions may be associated with high hif-1a expression and better behavioral performance. conclusions: our findings indicate that mild hypoxia postconditioning improves neurobehavioral ability, and hif-1a may be a potential mediator of the observed effects. our findings suggest that there may be clinical implications for treating infants with hibd.