Metabonomics Analysis of Brain Stem Tissue in Rats with Primary Brain Stem Injury Caused Death / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To explore the potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of primary brain stem injury (PBSI) by using metabonomics method to observe the changes of metabolites in rats with PBSI caused death.@*METHODS@#PBSI, non-brain stem brain injury and decapitation rat models were established, and metabolic maps of brain stem were obtained by LC-MS metabonomics method and annotated to the HMDB database. Partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and random forest methods were used to screen potential biomarkers associated with PBSI diagnosis.@*RESULTS@#Eighty-six potential metabolic markers associated with PBSI were screened by PLS-DA. They were modeled and predicted by random forest algorithm with an accuracy rate of 83.3%. The 818 metabolic markers annotated to HMDB database were used for random forest modeling and prediction, and the accuracy rate was 88.9%. According to the importance in the identification of cause of death, the most important metabolic markers that were significantly up-regulated in PBSI group were HMDB0038126 (genipinic acid, GA), HMDB0013272 (N-lauroylglycine), HMDB0005199 [(R)-salsolinol] and HMDB0013645 (N,N-dimethylsphingosine).@*CONCLUSIONS@#GA, N-lauroylglycine, (R)-salsolinol and N,N-dimethylsphingosine are expected to be important metabolite indicators in the diagnosis of PBSI caused death, thus providing clues for forensic medicine practice.

1H-MRS magnetic resonance spectroscopy in evaluating the severity and prognosis in patients with brain stem injury / 实用医学杂志

Objective To explore the role of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in evaluating the severity and prognosis of patients with brain stem injury. Methods A total of 45 patients with brain injury (the study group)and 10 healthy people(the control group)were retrospectively analyzed in Affiliated Anqing Hospital,Anhui Medical University during March 2015 to October 2016 using magnetic resonance spectroscopy.The NAA/Cr,NAA/Cho and Cho/Cr value in brain stem were analyzed. The clinical severity score (GCS) and Glasgow outcome scale (GOS)were also analyzed in our study. Results Compared with the normal group,patients in the study group had lower NAA level, NAA/Cho value but higher Cho/Cr value (P < 0.05). The severer the injury, the more obvious in NAA peak decrease. Cho peak increased and NAA/Cho ratio decreased. NAA/Cho, NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr values in the group with good prognosis were similar to those in the normal control group, but significantly different to the group with poor prognosis (P < 0.05). NAA/Cr, NAA/Cho and Cho/Cr values correlates with GOS in patients with brain stem injury. Conclusions Magnetic resonance spectroscopy can be used to measure the metabolic status of patients with brain stem injury,which is of great significance in the evaluation the severity of brain stem injury and prognosis.

Clinical effect of recombinant human erythropoietin on patients with primary brain stem injury / 中国综合临床

Objective To observe the short-term curative effect and safety of recombinant human erythropoietin(rHu-EPO)on patients with primary brain stem injury. Methods Sixty patients with primary brain stem injury were recruited at Liaocheng People' Hospital from July 2010 to July 2013. All cases were randomly divided into EPO group and control group. The patients in EPO group were injected subcutaneous with rHu-EPO five times at dose of 6 000 U,while patients in the control group were treated with placebo in 2 weeks. All other conventional treatments were the same. NIHSS score and GOS score were evaluated in two weeks and three months respectively. Moreover,blood pressure and hemoglobin were also measured. Results NIHSS score in EPO group was 11. 37 ± 7. 78,significant higher than that of control group after two weeks(19. 41 ± 8. 26,P = 0. 019). GOS score in EPO group was also significant differences in two groups after three months (Z = - 2. 367,P = 0. 009 ). However,no significant difference was observed in the followed-up blood tests. Conclusion Recombinant human erythropoietin could be the exact nerve protective effect,and might be an effective therapy for patients with primary brain stem injury.

Fatal craniocerebral injuries in victims who survived for some period.

It is a prospective study of 50 fatal head injury cases whose medico legal autopsy was done in the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Madras Medical College and Government General Hospital, Chennai from December 2007 to June 2008. There were total 50 cases of fatal craniocerebral injuries which needed admission either in Intensive Care Unit or neurosurgery. In the present study, male victims (47 cases, 96%) outnumbered female victims (3 cases, 6%) with an approximate male-female ratio of 16:1. Road traffic accidents (RTA) involving mainly pedestrians and two wheeler users were the most common cause of fatal head injury, seen in 43 cases (86%). Out of the total 50 cases of fatal head injury, brain stem injury was seen in 41 cases (82%). Skull bone fracture was found in 26 cases (52%), 11 cases were associated with primary brain stem injury and 15 cases with the secondary brain stem injury. Temporal and parietal bones were the common site of fracture, observed in 17 cases (34%). The range of survival period was wide, spreading from 6 hours to 600 hours; the mean survival period being 73.42 hours. Brain stem injury, which is generally associated with skull base fracture, was found to be the main factor governing the prognosis of the case.

The Prognostic Factors Related to Traumatic Brain Stem Injury

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to assess the clinical significance of traumatic brain stem injury (TBSI) reflected on Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) by various clinical variables. METHODS: A total of 136 TBSI patients were selected out of 2695 head-injured patients. All initial computerized tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging studies were retrospectively analyzed according to demographic- and injury variables which result in GCS and GOS. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, mode of injury showed a significant effect on combined injury (p<0.001), as were the cases with skull fracture on radiologic finding (p<0.000). The GCS showed a various correlation with radiologic finding (p<0.000), mode of injury (p<0.002), but less favorably with impact site (p<0.052), age (p<0.054) and skull fracture (p<0.057), in order of statistical significances. However, only GOS showed a definite correlation to radiologic finding (p<0.000). In multivariate analysis, the individual variables to enhance an unfavorable effect on GCS were radiologic finding [odds ratio (OR) 7.327, 95% confidence interval (CI)], mode of injury (OR; 4.499, 95% CI) and age (OR; 3.141, 95% CI). Those which influence an unfavorable effect on GOS were radiologic finding (OR; 25.420, 95% CI) and age (OR; 2.674, 95% CI). CONCLUSION: In evaluation of TBSI on outcome, the variables such as radiological finding, mode of injury, and age were revealed as three important ones to have an unfavorable effect on early stage outcome expressed as GCS. However, mode of injury was shown not to have an unfavorable effect on late stage outcome as GOS. Among all unfavorable variables, radiological finding was confirmed as the only powerful prognostic variable both on GCS and GOS.

The short-term curative effects of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells transplantation on patients with primary brain stem injury / 中国综合临床

ObjectiveTo explore the short-term curative effect and safety of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells transplantation in patients with primary brain stem injury.MethodsFifty-four cases with primary brain stem injury were hospitalized during Jul.2007 to Jul.2010 at Liaocheng Brain Hospital,Shandong Province.All cases were randomized into transplantation group( n =30)or control group( n =24 ).The transplantation group was treated with autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation by subarachnoid space injection (n =30).The control group were selected from primary brain stem injury patients without stem cell transplantation who were hospitalized at the same period with patients from the transplantation group.Respectively,National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was employed to evaluate the condition of patients in the two groups one month after treatment,and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score was used to evaluate curative effects of the two groups at sixth months after treatment.Meanwhile,some other parameters were observed,including blood routine,clotting mechanisms,biochemicalitemsand tumor markers.ResultsThere was significant difference between the transplantation group and the control group in N IHSS score at one month after treatment [ ( 10.86 ± 7.48) vs.( 18.26 ± 8.74),t =2.681,P ＜ 0.05 ].GOS score was significantly different( Z =2.306,P ＜ 0.05 ) between the transplantation group and the control group at sixth month after transplantation.There was no significant difference between the two groups in the blood examination results during the followed-up period.Conclusion Autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells transplantation is confirmed to be an effective and safe therapy in patients with primary brain stem injury in the short-term.Further evaluation still needs for its long-term efficacy on primary brain stem injury

Surgical Cases of Penetrating Brain Injury by Foreign Body

Penetrating brain stem injury is rare, and complete recovery is seldom expected. This case report presents exceptional cases of penetrating brain stem injury with a metal chopstick. The patients were a three-year-old boy and a 60-year-old man, and both patients made a complete recovery after surgical removal of the chopstick.

171 cases of injury to the cranial nerves connecting to the brain stem / 中国法医学杂志

Objective Observe the injuries to the cranial nerves in cases of brain stem injury following head trauma;explore the mechanism of injuries and their relations to the mode and point of impact on the head. Method Brain stem specimens of 465 cases of head trauma were designed to take cross sections at the roots of the 3rd～12th cranial nerves. Among the 465 cases, 171 were proven to have contusion of the brain stem. On these cases, the cranial nerves were observed meticulously. Results Cranial nerve injuries were found in all cases suffering from brain stem contusion. The nerves included were: oculomotor nerve (120 cases, 70.2%), facial and acoustic nerve (92 cases, 53.8%), trigeminal nerve (85 cases, 49.7%), abducent nerve (45 cases, 26.3%), hypoglossal nerve (31 cases, 18.1%), vagus nerve (27 cases, 15.8%), glosso-pharyngeal nerve (24 cases, 14.0%), and trochlear nerve and accessory nerve (10 cases each, 5.8%). The nerve injuries may be unilateral or bilateral, involving single or multiple nerves in a case. The pathological changes included hemorrhage (42 cases, 24.6%), edema (26 cases, 15.2%), structural deformation at the root of the nerves (71 cases, 41.5%), tear of the nerve roots (32 cases, 18.7%). Conclusion Cranial nerve injury is an important part of the cranio-cerebral injury, and also an accompaniment of the brain stem injury. The features of interesting in the injuries were the higher frequencies in the nerves at the upper level and the nerves of larger diameter; of highest frequency were oculomotor nerve, facial nerve and acoustic nerve.