Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38797164›Full record

ArticleDevelopmental neuroscience2025

Structural and Functional Effects of C5aR1 Antagonism in a Rat Model of Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.

Angela Saadat, Haree Pallera, Frank Lattanzio, Daley Owens, Amy Gaines, Sai Susmitha Ravi, Tushar Shah

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Developmental neuroscience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Angela SaadatNeonatal Brain Institute, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
Haree PalleraNeonatal Brain Institute, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
Frank LattanzioNeonatal Brain Institute, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
Daley OwensNeonatal Brain Institute, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
Amy GainesNeonatal Brain Institute, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
Sai Susmitha RaviNeonatal Brain Institute, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
Tushar ShahNeonatal Brain Institute, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe complement response activates upon reperfusion in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and contributes to excessive neuroinflammation and worse outcomes. C5a is a powerful anaphylatoxin central to each of the complement pathways, and its engagement with C5aR1 is directly tied to brain injury and neuronal death. Reasoning C5aR1 antagonism can decrease excessive neuroinflammation and thereby improve neurological and functional outcomes, we tested this hypothesis in a rat model of HIE with PMX205, a small molecule that inhibits C5a-C5aR1 interaction.

methodsTerm-equivalent pups (P10-12) were subjected to mild-moderate HIE by Vannucci's method and treated with PMX205. We compared motor and cognitive outcomes with two behavioral tests each (food handling and accelerod; novel object recognition [NOR] and open field) to improve the accuracy of our conclusions.

resultsImprovements were observed in fine motor function, balance, and exploratory behaviors, but little to no improvement in recognition memory and gross motor function. Lesion area and histological assessments showed robust cortical neuroprotection from treatment but persistent injury to the CA1 region of the hippocampus. Better structural and functional outcomes were seen within 1 day of treatment, suggesting C5aR1 antagonism beyond the latent injury phase may impair recovery. In a dose-response experiment, cerebral area loss from injury was improved only in female rats, suggesting underlying sexual dimorphisms in the complement response.

conclusionThese results demonstrate proof-of-concept for targeting C5aR1 signaling in neonatal HIE with PMX205 and underscore the role of sex in hypoxic-ischemic injury.

introductionThe complement response activates upon reperfusion in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and contributes to excessive neuroinflammation and worse outcomes. C5a is a powerful anaphylatoxin central to each of the complement pathways, and its engagement with C5aR1 is directly tied to brain injury and neuronal death. Reasoning C5aR1 antagonism can decrease excessive neuroinflammation and thereby improve neurological and functional outcomes, we tested this hypothesis in a rat model of HIE with PMX205, a small molecule that inhibits C5a-C5aR1 interaction.

methodsTerm-equivalent pups (P10-12) were subjected to mild-moderate HIE by Vannucci's method and treated with PMX205. We compared motor and cognitive outcomes with two behavioral tests each (food handling and accelerod; novel object recognition [NOR] and open field) to improve the accuracy of our conclusions.

resultsImprovements were observed in fine motor function, balance, and exploratory behaviors, but little to no improvement in recognition memory and gross motor function. Lesion area and histological assessments showed robust cortical neuroprotection from treatment but persistent injury to the CA1 region of the hippocampus. Better structural and functional outcomes were seen within 1 day of treatment, suggesting C5aR1 antagonism beyond the latent injury phase may impair recovery. In a dose-response experiment, cerebral area loss from injury was improved only in female rats, suggesting underlying sexual dimorphisms in the complement response.

conclusionThese results demonstrate proof-of-concept for targeting C5aR1 signaling in neonatal HIE with PMX205 and underscore the role of sex in hypoxic-ischemic injury.

Indexed as

Hypoxia-Ischemia, BrainNeuroprotective AgentsReceptor, Anaphylatoxin C5aAnimalsAnimals, NewbornDisease Models, AnimalFemaleMaleMotor ActivityRatsRats, Sprague-DawleyNeuroprotective AgentsReceptor, Anaphylatoxin C5aAnimal modelComplementHypoxia-ischemiaInflammationNeonatal brain injuryReperfusion injury

Identifiers

PMID38797164
PMCPMC11965858

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.