ArticlePloS one2020
Prophylactic antenatal N-Acetyl Cysteine administration combined with postnatal administration can decrease mortality and injury markers associated with necrotizing enterocolitis in a rat model.
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Fetal and neonatal effects of N-acetylcysteine for maternal chorioamnionitis: a systematic review.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Pooled it
- N-Acetylcysteine Alleviates Necrotizing Enterocolitis by Depressing SESN2 Expression to Inhibit Ferroptosis in Intestinal Epithelial Cells.Inflammation · 2025Article
- Gene expression in the intestine of newborn piglets after hypoxia-reoxygenation.Pediatric research · 2023Article
- Intestine and brain TLR-4 modulation following N-acetyl-cysteine treatment in NEC rodent model.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Intra-Amniotic Administration-An Emerging Method to Investigate Necrotizing Enterocolitis, In Vivo (Nutrients · 2022Article
- Suppression of cirrhosis-related renal injury by N-acetyl cysteine.Current research in pharmacology and drug discovery · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundNecrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating gastrointestinal disease of neonates, especially premature neonates. To date, there is no prophylactic treatment against NEC, except breast milk and slow increase in enteral feeding, and there is no antenatal prophylaxis.
aimsTo assess possible protective effects of antenatal N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) against the intestinal pathophysiological changes associated with NEC in a rat model of NEC and against its associated mortality.
methodsNewborn Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups: control (n = 33); NEC (n = 32)-subjected to hypoxia and formula feeding for 4 days to induce NEC; NEC-NAC (n = 34)-with induced NEC and concomitant postnatal NAC administration; NAC-NEC (n = 33)-born to dams treated with NAC for the last 3 days of pregnancy starting at gestational age of 18 days, and then subjected to induced NEC after birth; NAC-NEC-NAC (n = 36)-subjected to induced NEC with both prenatal and postnatal NAC treatment. At day of life 5, weight and survival of pups in the different groups were examined, and pups were euthanized. Ileal TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-10, NFkB p65, iNOS and cleaved caspase 3 protein levels (western blot) and mRNA expression (RT-PCR) were compared between groups.
resultsPup mortality was significantly reduced in the NAC-NEC-NAC group compared to NEC (11% vs. 34%, P<0.05). Ileal protein levels and mRNA expression of all injury markers tested except IL-10 were significantly increased in NEC compared to control. These markers were significantly reduced in all NAC treatment groups (NEC-NAC, NAC-NEC, and NAC-NEC-NAC) compared to NEC. The most pronounced decrease was observed in the NAC-NEC NAC group.
conclusionsAntenatal NAC decreases injury markers and mortality associated with NEC in a rat model. Antenatal administration of NAC may present a novel approach for NEC prophylaxis in pregnancies with risk for preterm birth.
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