Alonso-Alconada Daniel, Alvarez Antonia, Arteaga Olatz, Martínez-Ibargüen Agustín, Hilario Enrique
Department of Cell Biology and Histology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of the Basque Country, Barrio Sarriena s/n, Leioa 48940, Bizkaia, Spain.
Int J Mol Sci. 2013 Apr 29;14(5):9379-95. doi: 10.3390/ijms14059379.
One of the most common causes of mortality and morbidity in children is perinatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI). In spite of the advances in neonatology, its incidence is not diminishing, generating a pediatric population that will require an extended amount of chronic care throughout their lifetime. For this reason, new and more effective neuroprotective strategies are urgently required, in order to minimize as much as possible the neurological consequences of this encephalopathy. In this sense, interest has grown in the neuroprotective possibilities of melatonin, as this hormone may help to maintain cell survival through the modulation of a wide range of physiological functions. Although some of the mechanisms by which melatonin is neuroprotective after neonatal asphyxia remain a subject of investigation, this review tries to summarize some of the most recent advances related with its use as a therapeutic drug against perinatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, supporting the high interest in this indoleamine as a future feasible strategy for cerebral asphyctic events.
围产期缺氧缺血（HI）是儿童死亡和发病的最常见原因之一。尽管新生儿学取得了进展，但其发病率并未降低，这使得有相当一部分儿童在其一生中都需要长期的慢性护理。因此，迫切需要新的、更有效的神经保护策略，以尽可能减少这种脑病的神经后果。从这个意义上说，褪黑素的神经保护作用受到了越来越多的关注，因为这种激素可能通过调节多种生理功能来帮助维持细胞存活。尽管新生儿窒息后褪黑素发挥神经保护作用的一些机制仍在研究中，但本综述试图总结与其作为治疗围产期缺氧缺血性脑损伤药物相关的一些最新进展，支持将这种吲哚胺作为未来治疗脑窒息事件可行策略的高度关注。
