Scientists have identified that premature newborns with very low birth weight may experience brain tissue shrinkage due to salt and water transporters on immature neurons reacting to a lack of oxygen. This shrinkage can lead to brain bleeding and long-term neurological issues.
A recent study by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, a key member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare network, has unveiled crucial insights that could pave the way for new treatments for a prevalent brain bleeding condition seen in newborns with very low birth weight. The study’s results have been published in Brain.
“Intraventricular hemorrhage, where bleeding occurs inside or around the brain spaces containing cerebrospinal fluid, affects approximately one-third of very low birth weight newborns, with more than half facing lifelong neurological challenges,” explained Dr. Kevin J. Staley, the senior author of the study and chief of the Division of Pediatric Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Understanding the brain injury mechanisms leading to intraventricular hemorrhage in premature infants has been elusive, making effective interventions difficult.”
Studies on animals have indicated that brain tissue contraction, followed by blood vessel stretching, is a crucial part of the mechanism that results in intraventricular hemorrhage, but the specific cause of this tissue shrinkage has remained unknown.
Dr. Staley and his team performed experiments on mice, revealing that certain salt and water transporters on neuron cell membranes contribute to this tissue shrinkage when the brain lacks oxygen. Modifying the operation of these transporters prevented neuronal shrinkage and blood vessel stretching after brain injury in immature neurons.
“Our findings indicate that immature neurons react to injury by shrinking due to the peculiar salt and water transport systems they possess, unlike mature brain neurons that swell after injury. The shrinking of immature neurons results in local tissue contraction, leading to blood vessel stretching and potential rupture and intraventricular hemorrhage,” Dr. Staley elaborated. “Through animal models, we have demonstrated that adjusting these transporters can mitigate the consequences of brain injury.”
Next, the researchers will examine clinical data to determine if their mouse model results are applicable to human newborns.
