Cardiopulmonary bypass in the newborn: effects of circulatory cell-free hemoglobin and hyperoxia evaluated in a novel rat pup model.

In this study, we present a novel rat pup model with scavenging characteristics and brain maturation similar to newborns with CHD. We have confirmed a distinct scavenger response after exposure to systemic cell-free hemoglobin. We have indications of an accelerated metabolism of cell-free Hb and of an altered transcription of scavenger proteins in a hyperoxic environment. We believe that this model will prove valuable in future delineation of inflammatory and oxidative end-organ damage following CPB.