Pyruvate administered to newborn rats with insulin-induced hypoglycemic brain injury reduces neuronal death and cognitive impairment.

Based on previous studies, we had made a try to administer sodium pyruvate to newborn Wistar rats suffering repetitive and profound hypoglycemia, which can induce brain injury. Fluoro-Jade B was used to marked degenerative neurons 1 day after the third hypoglycemic insult, and Morris water navigation task was performed to assess cognitive function when the rats were 6 weeks old. We found that administration of sodium pyruvate to those rats whose hypoglycemia was terminated by dextrose can reduce neurodegeneration induced by hypoglycemia and improve the cognitive function. Supplementing sodium pyruvate with glucose to terminate severe neonatal hypoglycemia is an effective intervention.