Increased apoptosis in the cingulate sulcus of newborn piglets following transient hypoxia-ischaemia is related to the degree of high energy phosphate depletion during the insult.

An increase in the number of cells undergoing apoptosis was observed in the cingulate sulcus of newborn piglets 48 h after a global hypoxic-ischaemic insult. Apoptotic death was identified morphologically (by light and electron microscopy) and by DNA fragmentation, detected by in situ end labelling. The number of apoptotic cells was directly related to the degree of high-energy phosphate depletion during hypoxia-ischaemia, measured using continuous 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These results may have implications for the understanding and treatment of perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury.