OBJECTIVETo establish a reliable neonatal rat model of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) which is expected to be similar to PVL of human preterm infants pathologically, and to explore the concomitant eye lesions in the PVL model.

METHODSTwo-old-day neonatal rats were randomly divided into a PVL group and a sham-operated group (n=19 each). The PVL model was established by the ligation of bilateral common carotid arteries, followed by a 30-min exposure to 8% oxygen. The cerebral infarction area was assessed with TTC staining 1 day after operation. Cerebral pathology was examined under a light micsrocope 2 and 21 days after operation. The examinations of eyes under a slip lamp and the pathology of eyeballs under a light microscope were performed 21 days after operation.

RESULTSThe TTC staining cerebral slices showed there were extensive white areas of infarction in the brain of the PVL group, with an infarction area of 53.45 +/- 33.90 mm3 and a percentage of infarction of (24.98 +/- 15.44)% . Significant cystic necrosis and apoptosis around the periventricular and subcortical white matter and mild damage in cortical neurons were observed in the PVL group 2 days after operation. The more obvious cystic necrosis around the periventricular area was found in the PVL group 21 days after operation. There were no pathological changes in the brain of the sham-operated group. All of rats in the PVL group had bilateral cataracts, however, no pathological changes were observed in their postbulbar tissues. The sham-operated group did not show eye abnormal.

CONCLUSIONSThe PVL animal model that was similar to PVL of human preterm infants pathologically was successfully established by the ligation of bilateral common carotid arteries, followed by 30-min hypoxia exposure, with a positive effect and a good repeatability. Cataract can also be induced by the method.