The Psychophysiological Responses of the Chronic Ischemic Stroke Patients to the Acute Stress were Changed

Abstract: Mood disorder is one of the complications of stroke. The inability to cope with stress is also a prognosis of depression and anxiety. The aim of this study is to assess the response of stress system in the post stroke patients. Twelve healthy controls (HC) and twelve post-stroke patients after filling in the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) which induces acute stress. Salivary samples were collected to determine salivary cortisol levels and ECG record were taken in four times (before, right after stress, after two recoveries: 20 and 40 minutes after stress). ECG was also recorded during TSST and then the linear and non-linear features of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) were analyzed. The results showed that trait anxiety score and baseline salivary cortisol level were higher in post stroke than HC group (P-value <0.05). The increase of cortisol level after stress was only observed in HC that returned to baseline after the second recovery time. The stress increased the relative low frequency of HRV in both groups, however it was significantly lower in the stroke than HC group (P-value < 0.005). There was also a significant difference between alpha 1 DFA measures in stroke group and HC group (P-value <0.05). It is concluded that the impairment of the hormonal axis of stress system in the post-stroke patients that until now was not reported.

[ effects of fetal rat cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] on neural differentiation of rat pheochoromocytoma PC12 cells]

Background: Fetal cerebro- spinal fluid [CSF] contains many neurotrophic and growth factors. Rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells have been widely used as an in vitro model of neuronal differentiation that undergo differentiation to sympathetic neuron-like cells in response to NGF, bFGF, EGF and GDNF

Materials and methods: CSF was removed by tapping the cisterna magna of Wistar rat fetuses [E17- E20]. PC12 cells were cultured in RPMI plus 10% FBS. The cell viability and cell proliferation were measured by MTT assay. Neural differentiation markers [MAP-2 and beta-III tubulin] expressions were analyzed by immunocytochemistry

Results: MAP-2 and beta-III tuobulin were expressed in PC12 cells cultured in CSF supplemented medium, but not in the cells from control cultures. Viability and cell proliferation were significantly elevated in PC12 cells cultured in CSF supplemented medium in E18 compared with control ones. A significant neuronal-like outgrowth appeared as early as Day 3 after the application of the CSF supplemented medium E17 and E19

Conclusion: Our data are in the same line with pervious studies that clarify crucial role of CSF neurotrophic factors in neuronal differentiation. Taken together we address PC12 neuronal differentiation to CSF induction by its components especially growth factors