Effect of huperzine A on cerebral cholinesterase and acetylcholine in elderly patients during recovery from general anesthesia / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of huperzine A on cerebral cholinergic system in elderly patients during recovery from general anesthesia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty elderly patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia were randomized in a double-blind manner into group I (n=15) to receive huperzine A (0.3 mg/2 ml) and group II (n=15) with normal saline (2 ml) given intravenously. Huperzine A or normal saline was administered 30 min before completion of the operation, and acetylcholine (Ach) concentration in the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) of the patients was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detector (HPLC-ECD) and the activity of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChE) evaluated with automatic biochemistry analyzer before general anesthesia induction (T1) and 5 h after operation completion (T2).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In both the groups, Ach concentration in the CSF were lower at T2 than that at T1 (P<0.01), and at T2, CSF Ach concentration was significantly higher in group I than in group II (P<0.01); in group I, the activity of CSF ChE at T2 was lower than that at T1 (P<0.01), and also lower than at T2 in group II (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Huperzine A can inhibit cholinesterase to increase Ach, which has a positive effect on cerebral cholinergic system in elderly patients during recovery from general anesthesia.</p>