Effects of vitamin B-6 supplementation on oxidative stress and inflammatory response in neonatal rats receiving hyperoxia therapy

Hyperoxia is often used in the treatment of neonates. However, protracted use of hyperoxialeads to significant morbidity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects ofvitamin B-6 supplementation on oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in neonatalrats undergoing hyperoxia therapy. The study consisted of 2 parts: a survival study and avitamin B-6 efficacy study for 16 days. Neonatal rats were randomly divided into either thecontrol group, B-6 group (subcutaneously injected with 90 mg/kg/d of pyridoxal 50-phosphate[PLP]), O2 group (treated with 85% oxygen), or O2 t B-6 group (simultaneously treatedwith 85% oxygen and 90 mg/kg/d PLP). After the survival study was done, the vitamin B-6efficacy study was performed with duplicate neonatal rats sacrificed on the 3rd, 6th, 9th,and 16th day. Serum inflammatory cytokines, tissue pathology, and malondialdehyde(MDA) levels were measured. In the survival study, the survival rate of neonatal rats in thecontrol, B-6, O2, and O2 t B-6 group on the 16th day were 100%, 100%, 25%, and 62.50%,respectively. The efficacy study showed lung polymorphonuclear granulocyte (PMN) andmacrophage infiltration, increased liver hemopoiesis, and higher MDA levels in liver homogenatesat days 3 through 16 in the O2 group. Vitamin B-6 supplementation considerablyincreased serum inflammatory cytokines in either the 6th or 9th day and decreased liverMDA level before the 6th day. These results indicate that neonatal rats receiving hyperoxiatreatment suffered divergent serum inflammatory responses and were in increased liver.