Broccoli sprout supplementation during pregnancy prevents brain injury in the newborn rat following placental insufficiency

• Published in: Behavioural brain research 2015-09, Vol.291, p.289-298
• Main Authors: Black, A.M., Armstrong, E.A., Scott, O., Juurlink, B.J.H., Yager, J.Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Brain - pathology; Brain Diseases - pathology; Brain Diseases - prevention & control; Brassica; Broccoli sprout; Cerebral palsy; Cerebral Palsy - pathology; Cerebral Palsy - physiopathology; Cerebral Palsy - prevention & control; Developmental delay; Developmental Disabilities - pathology; Developmental Disabilities - physiopathology; Developmental Disabilities - prevention & control; Dietary Supplements; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Intrauterine growth restriction; Male; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Motor Activity - physiology; Placental Insufficiency - diet therapy; Placental Insufficiency - mortality; Placental Insufficiency - pathology; Placental Insufficiency - physiopathology; Pregnancy; Preventative therapy; Random Allocation; Rats, Long-Evans; Reflex - physiology; Seedlings
• ISSN: 0166-4328; 1872-7549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.05.033

•Placental insufficiency causes fetal growth restriction (FGR).•FGR is associated with developmental disability and increased cerebral palsy (CP).•Broccoli sprouts is a natural health product and a potent phase II enzyme inducer.•Broccoli sprouts prevents FGR induced behavioral and pathologic alterations. Chronic placental insufficiency and subsequent intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) increase the risk of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in the newborn by 40 fold. The latter, in turn, increases the risk of cerebral palsy and developmental disabilities. This study seeks to determine the effectiveness of broccoli sprouts (BrSp), a rich source of the isothiocyanate sulforaphane, as a neuroprotectant in a rat model of chronic placental insufficiency and IUGR. Placental insufficiency and IUGR was induced by bilateral uterine artery ligation (BUAL) on day E20 of gestation. Dams were fed standard chow or chow supplemented with 200mg of dried BrSp from E15 – postnatal day 14 (PD14). Controls received Sham surgery and the same dietary regime. Pups underwent neurologic reflex testing and open field testing, following which they were euthanized and their brains frozen for neuropathologic assessment. Compared to Sham, IUGR pups were delayed in attaining early reflexes and performed worse in the open field, both of which were significantly improved by maternal supplementation of BrSp (p