Advances in minimally invasive treatment of hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke

Cerebrovascular diseases,including ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes,affect more than 6 million US adults annually.Strokes cause high rates of morbidity and mortality due to the central nervous system’s sensitivity to disruptions in blood flow,and are refractory to traditional surgical interventions.A variety of minimally invasive surgical and endovascular approaches have recently been developed to improve patient outcomes following stroke.

Evaluation of modified hemodilution combined therapy in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke in the elderly

BACKGROUND： Thrombolysis therapy is not suitable for the elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke who delayed to be diagnosed for more than 3 hours, but traditional medicine is also not very ideal. OBJECTIVE： To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of modified hemodilution combined therapy applied in elderly patients with acute cerebral thrombosis and analyze the mechanism of this therapeutic method. DESIGN： 1：1 paired grouping according to gender and controlled observation SETTING： Department of Internal Medicine, Chengzhanyuan District, First Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang University. PARTICIPANTS： Totally 90 elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke who received the treatment in the Cadre Ward and Mental Ward, Department of Internal Medicine, Chengzhanyuan District, First Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang University from March 1996 to June 2004 were recruited. They all met the diagnosis criteria revised by the Fourth Academic Conference of National Cerebrovascular Diseases in 1995 and were diagnosed as acute ischemic stroke by skull CT. They were informed of therapeutic plan and detected items. According to 1：1 paired principle in gender, 90 enrolled patients were assigned into treated group （n=45） and control group （n=45）. There were 39 male and 6 female in the treatment group, and they were aged （76±6）years, ranging from 71 to 84 years, and hospitalized at the 14^th to 76^th hours after onset. There were 39 male and 6 female in the control group, and they were aged （76±6）years , ranging from 70 to 82 years, and hospitalized at the 16^th to 72^th hours after onset. METHODS： Therapeutic method： Patients of treated group received modified hemodilution combined therapy. 200 mL whole blood of patients was exchanged with 500 mL dextran-40 （including 20 mL danshen parenteral solution and 32 mg heparin） at the beginning of therapy; From the 2^nd day, compound huangqi tea bag （Huangqi mainly, including danshen, honghua, chuanxiong, shishao and a little acetyl salicylic acid） was made, twice a day, 1 bag once. At the same time, the above-mentioned dextran-40 liquid of 500 mL was intravenously injected, once a day, 14 days in total; On the 6^th day after therapy, the above-mentioned aseptic autoblood stored in refrigerator at 4℃ was transfused back into the patients following pre-treatment of high-concentration oxygenation and ultraviolet irradiation by light quantum instrument. Patients of control group were intravenously injected of 0.4 g venoruton（Traditional Chinese medicine compound parenteral solution for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis ） and 50 g/L glucose of 500 mL, 75 mg acetosal was taken orally, once a day, 14 days in total. ② Measurement and observation of index： Blood coagulation index, change of platelet aggregation rate and change of hemorrheology of patients in two groups were monitored before and after therapy. The level of blood lipid of patients in two groups was measured with American Beckman automatic biochemistry analyzer. Blood flow rate of middle cerebral artery of resting electrocardiogram were measured with American HP SONOS 2500 sonoscope. Neuro-dysfunction score revised in the national conference （1995） was used to evaluate the recovery of neurological function of the patients in two groups at the 3rd, 5^th, 7^th and 14^th days after therapy. ③Therapeutic effect and adverse effect were observed at the same time. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES ： ① Changes of coagulation index, blood lipid level and hemorheology; ② Blood flow rate of middle cerebral artery and NDS of patients with acute ischemic stroke in two groups; ③Adverse effect of drug. RESULTS： Totally 90 patients were enrolled in the experiment. One patient from treated group died of hyperosmolar nonketotic diabetic coma of complicated diabetes mellitus. One patient from control group died of severe pulmonary infection. The rest 88 patients entered the stage of result analysis. ① Change of coagulation index and platelet aggregation rate： prothrombin time （PT）, activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT） and thrombin time （TT） of patients after therapy were significantly longer than those before therapy in the treated group and those after therapy in control group [After therapy in treated group： （18.4±1.9）, （41.8±2.1）, （19.7±1.7） s, Before therapy in treated group： （13.4±1.3）, （35.8±1.3）, （12.5±0.9） s, After therapy in control group： （16.9±1.5）, （39.1±1.1）, （11.9±2.1） s, P〈 0.05]：Concentration of fibrinogen （Fbg） after therapy was significantly lower than that before therapy in the treated group and that after therapy in control group[After therapy in treated group： （3.4±0.4） g/L; Before therapy in treated group： （4.3±0.7） g/L; After therapy in control group：（4.0±0.6） g/L; P 〈 0.05]. Platelet aggregation rate decreased from （37.92 ±0.85）% before therapy to （26.42±1.01）% after therapy （P 〈 0.01）. ②Change of blood lipid level： Levels of total cholesterol （TC）, triacylglycerol（TG） and low density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） of patients after therapy were significantly lower than those before therapy in treated group and those after therapy in control group [After therapy in treated group： （5.2±0.9）, （1.9±0.9）, （2.08±1.1） mmol/L, before therapy in treated group： （5.9±1.2）, （2.8±0.9）, （3.94±0.5） mmol/L, After therapy in control group： （6.0±1.1）, （2.6±0.8）, （3.84±0.9） mmol/L, P 〈 0.05]. ③Change of hemorheology index： Hematocrit of patients of treated group was significantly lower after therapy than before therapy [Before therapy： （43.84±4.55）% ;After therapy： （40.48±4.02）%;P 〈 0.05]. Blood flow rate of middle cerebral artery of patients of treated group was significantly lower before therapy than after therapy [（90±1.2）, （97±2.1） cm/s,P〈 0.01]. ⑤NDS of patients in treated group was significantly lower than of control group 14 days after therapy. The total effective rate after therapy was significantly higher in the treated group than in the control group （93%,78%, P 〈 0.05）. ⑥There was no obvious adverse effect. CONCLUSION： Modified hemodilution combined therapy can improve hemorheology, decrease hematocrit, increase blood flow rate of middle cerebral artery, so as to improve the impaired clinical neurological function of elderly patients with acute cerebral thrombosis through anticoagulation and antiplatelet aggregative activity as well as regulating blood lipid.

EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE ON PLASMA β-EP IN PATIENTS WITH ISCHEMIC STROKE

In the present study, the therapeutic effect of acupuncture at Shuigou(GV 26), Neiguan (PC 6) and Zusanli (ST 36) in treatment of 30 cases of ischemic cerebral apoplexy patients and its action on plasma βEP (endorphine) level were observed. After treatment, of the 30inpatients, 16 cases were cured basically, 9 had marked improvement, 4 had slight improvement and the rest one had no any changes. The significantly effective rate was 83.3% and the total effective rate was 96.7%. Before acupuncture treatment, the content of plasma βEP inpatients with ischemic stroke increased significantly in comparison with that of normal group (P<0.01). While after treatment, plasma βEP level decreased to approach to the normal level, which may be one of the mechanisms of acupuncture in alleviating stoke patients.

Inhibition of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injuryinduced apoptosis:nicotiflorin and JAK2/STAT3 pathway

Nicotiflorin is a flavonoid extracted from Carthamus tinctorius.Previous studies have shown its cerebral protective effect,but the mechanism is undefined.In this study,we aimed to determine whether nicotiflorin protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury-induced apoptosis through the JAK2/STAT3 pathway.The cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury model was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion.Nicotiflorin（10 mg/kg） was administered by tail vein injection.Cell apoptosis in the ischemic cerebral cortex was examined by hematoxylin-eosin staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase d UTP nick end labeling assay.Bcl-2 and Bax expression levels in ischemic cerebral cortex were examined by immunohistochemial staining.Additionally,p-JAK2,p-STAT3,Bcl-2,Bax,and caspase-3 levels in ischemic cerebral cortex were examined by western blot assay.Nicotiflorin altered the shape and structure of injured neurons,decreased the number of apoptotic cells,down-regulates expression of p-JAK2,p-STAT3,caspase-3,and Bax,decreased Bax immunoredactivity,and increased Bcl-2 protein expression and immunoreactivity.These results suggest that nicotiflorin protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury-induced apoptosis via the JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

前循环缺血性脑卒中血管内治疗后平板CT高密度征与出血转化的相关性研究

目的探讨急性前循环大血管闭塞性缺血性脑卒中血管内治疗后平板CT高密度征的特点及其与出血转化的相关性。方法对河南省人民医院脑血管科自2018年3月至2019年6月收治的78例予血管内治疗后行平板CT检查的急性前循环大血管闭塞性缺f血性脑卒中患者,分别依据其是否存在局部平板CT高密度征及是否发生出血转化进行分组,对比高密度征组与非高密度征组、出血转化组与非出血转化组患者间临床资料的差异,并分析平板CT高密度征与出血转化的关联性;进-一步分析高密度征组患者平板CT高密度征的形态特点及分布.并采用单因素分析及多因素Logistic回归分析筛选出影响平板CT高密度征患者术后出血转化的危险因素。结果(1)血管内治疗后平板CT高密度征的发生率为41.0%(32/78)。与非高密度征组相比.高密度征组患者出血转化的发生率明显更高(6.5%vs.53.1%),3个月改良Rankin量表(mRS)评分明显更高[2.0(1.0,3.0)分vs.3.9(3.0,5.3)分],差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。(2)血管内治疗后出血转化的发生率为25.6%(20/78)。与非出血转化组相比,出血转化组患者平板CT高密度征的发生率更高(31%vs.70%),差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);多因索Logistic回归分析显示平板CT高密度征是血管内治疗后出血转化的独立危险因素(OR=1.823.95%CI:1.125-2.358.P=0.000)。(3)脑皮质及皮质下、基底节区、蛛网膜下腔中平板CT高密度征的发生率分别为12.5%(4/32).40.6%(13/32).21.9%(7/32).出血转化发生率分别为75%(3/4).53.8%(7/13)和57.1%(4/7),3个月mRS评分平均分别为4.5.3.0和4.0分;另有8例(25%)患者出现血管内平板CT高密度征,其出血转化发生率高达87.5%(7/8),3个月mRS评分均>4分。(4)多因素Logistic回归分析显示血管开通时间≤6h是平板CT高密度征患者出血转化的保护因素(OR=0.687,95%Cl:0.193~0.936,P=0.044)。结论急性前循环大血管闭塞性缺血性脑卒中血管内治疗后平板CT高密度征提示出血转化高风险及较差预后,尤其是于脑皮质及皮质下区域和血管内区域出现者;尽量缩减血管开通时间或许可减少平板CT高密度征患者发生出血转化的风险。