Genistein-3′-sodium sulfonate enhances neurological function in neonatal rats with hypoxia-ischemia during the recovery period

Hypoxic-ischemic (HI) can cause neonatal brain damage leading to disability. Patients with HI experience long-term neurological issues impacting quality of life. Limited clinical treatments are available despite extensive research on HI's molecular mechanisms. Genistein-3'-sodium sulfonate (GSS), a phytoestrogen, has been found to improve acute brain injury in neonatal rats caused by hypoxic-ischemia, but its potential for chronic stage neurological recovery in HI is unknown. HI neonatal rats were treated with 1 mg/kg GSS once a day for 21 days. Then, a series of behavioral experiments was performed to evaluate the learning, memory, cognition, anxiety level and depression-like behaviors of the rats. GSS treatment reduced neuronal loss, enhanced learning, memory and cognitive function while also alleviated anxiety and depression-like behaviors in HI rats during the recovery period. These findings indicated that GSS exerted enhance neurological function in HI rats during the chronic stage, prompting further research on how it works to potentially develop new therapies.