NF-κB inhibition after neonatal cerebral hypoxia–ischemia improves long-term motor and cognitive outcome in rats

We recently demonstrated that inhibition of the NF-κB-pathway by the specific peptide inhibitor TAT-NBD markedly reduced cerebral injury in a rat model of perinatal hypoxic–ischemic (HI) brain damage. The aim of the current study was to assess whether neuroprotection by TAT-NBD is associated with long-term functional improvements after neonatal HI. Postnatal-day 7 rats subjected to HI showed motor deficits in the cylinder rearing test and adhesive removal task. HI-treated animals also showed cognitive impairments in a visuo-spatial learning task (modified hole board) as defined by an increased latency to complete this task and increased numbers of short- and long-term memory errors. HI animals treated with TAT-NBD [20 mg/kg i.p.] at 0 and 3 h post-HI did not show impairments in the cylinder rearing test, adhesive removal task and modified hole board. In conclusion, the almost complete reduction in lesion size observed after TAT-NBD treatment was associated with long-lasting normalization of sensorimotor and cognitive functions.