Many dangers are lurking around children that are not yet born. Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) is one of them. If a pregnant woman doesn’t get enough oxygen, her child will be a late developer; moreover, some abnormalities may show years after he was born. The worst cases may end up in mental retardations and dyskinesia.
 

Group of scientists from Moscow State University Human and Animal Physiology Dept under the supervision of Ashmarin I.P., RAMS academician, is developing a medication, which can cure fetus damage caused by hypoxia. For this purpose the researchers recommend to use a mixture of two regulatory peptides (short proteins). One of these peptides, semaks, is known for its antihypoxic effects, and another, alfa-kazomorphin-7, reduces anxiety and animal defensive behaviour.
 

Hypoxia has several reasons: lungs malfunction, hemoglobin deficiency (anemia), long stays on high altitudes, sudden pressure drop in an airplane or breathing apparatus defects. Two latter cases are acute hypoxia. Acute hypoxia was the one simulated in scientific experiments. Rats, that were pregnant for three days, were put in the research pressure chamber. The pressure drop was similar to that if rats suddenly jumped to 11,5 km above sea level at 200 m/s. Fifteen minutes before hypoxia test females got nasal drops with doses of peptide mixture that reduce anxiety of adult animals under stress and have antihypoxic effect. Control animal received the same amount of saline solution. When infant rats were born and were 15-18 or 22-25 days old, their behaviour was studied for four days. Moreover, they were measured and weighed daily.
 

Since 8th day control infant rats showed less growth and since 10th day – less weight. Such retardation persisted till 36th day, and then the scientists finished observations. On the 15-18th day little rats led sedentary life: they didn’t run far and never reared. Those little rats, whose mothers have taken peptide mixture, developed normally and were sometimes even more active than ordinary rats.
 

On the 22-25th day the rats matured and changed their behaviour. Control ones became active, started rearing, looking into artificial holes and touching faces while washing (the sign of deep emotional tension) and anxiously sneaking about the labyrinth instead of quiet sitting in its dark corners in contrast to test rats, who became calm and less active.
 

Thus, females, who experienced acute hypoxia in the beginning of their pregnancy, gave birth to hyperactive late developers with high emotional tension. Hypoxia preventive treatment with mentioned peptide mixture eliminates all hypoxia consequences except one: infant rats open their eyes later than others. However, the scientists believe that peptide mixture on the hypoxia background may affect the organism in its own manner, which should be studied in detail.