Video Article Mouse Models of Periventricular Leukomalacia

We describe a protocol for establishing mouse models of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). PVL is the predominant form of brain injury in premature infants and the most common antecedent of cerebral palsy. PVL is characterized by periventricular white matter damage with prominent oligodendroglial injury. Hypoxia/ischemia with or without systemic infection/inflammation are the primary causes of PVL. We use P6 mice to create models of neonatal brain injury by the induction of hypoxia/ischemia with or without systemic infection/inflammation with unilateral carotid ligation followed by exposure to hypoxia with or without injection of the endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Immunohistochemistry of myelin basic protein (MBP) or O1 and electron microscopic examination show prominent myelin loss in cerebral white matter with additional damage to the hippocampus and thalamus. Establishment of mouse models of PVL will greatly facilitate the study of disease pathogenesis using available transgenic mouse strains, conduction of drug trials in a relatively high throughput manner to identify candidate therapeutic agents, and testing of stem cell transplantation using immunodeficiency mouse strains. Protocol Detailed procedures of creating neonatal brain injury in P6 mice: Figure 1. Characterization of brain injury in the hypoxic/ischemic mouse model with H & E staining. There is focal necrosis (arrows) in the cerebral white matter ipsilateral (A) to the carotid ligation, compared to the contralateral cerebral white matter (B). Ipsilateral necrosis and focal microinfarcts are observed in the hippocampus (C) and thalamus (D) in the brains with ipsilateral cerebral white matter injury