Identification as a Randomized Trial of Piracetam Medication on the Protein and mRNA Expressions of GFAP, Calmodulin-2, and Gelsolin in Brain Tissue of Rat Fetuses from a Pregnant-Rat Periventricular Leukomalacia Model

Background: Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is the most frequent brain injury associated with cerebral palsy (CP), particularly in preterm infants. Changes in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels provide specific information about brain activities. Calmodulin is a calcium marker found in eukaryotic cells that binds calcium ions to form the Ca2+/calmodulin complex. Gelsolin, an actin-regulating protein dependent on calcium, is found in healthy human plasma and has multiple functions. Objectives: To determine the effect of piracetam administration on CP prevention by examining the expression of protein and mRNA levels of GFAP, calmodulin-2, and gelsolin in brain tissue. Methods: We conducted a post-test-only experimental control group study using 63 rat fetuses from pregnant rats with PVL models. The fetuses were induced with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection on days 15, 17, and 19, and piracetam was administered orally at week 10.5 to deter CP in the rat fetuses. We evaluated the protein and mRNA expression of GFAP, calmodulin-2, and gelsolin in the fetal brain tissue of the rats using ELISA and real-time PCR. Results: We found a significant difference between the control and treatment groups in the levels of GFAP and calmodulin-2 proteins in the fetal brain of rats (P < 0.05). Both GFAP and calmodulin-2 levels decreased in all treatment groups. However, the statistical real-time PCR test did not show a significant difference between the control and intervention groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions: By evaluating the protein and mRNA expression of GFAP, calmodulin, and gelsolin, piracetam may be used to prevent CP in rat fetuses in pregnant rat models of PVL.