Changes in the contents of nitrogen monoxide in serum and endothelin in plasma associated with the prognosis for patients with stroke

Feng CHENG; Guofu SHAO; Zhilin ZHANG; Hongmei HUO; Shiyao BAO

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

There are so many experimental and clinical researches on levels of nitrogen monoxide (NO) in serum and endothelins in plasma of patients with stroke; however, ratio and significance between them are still unclear.

OBJECTIVE:

To observe dynamic changes of levels of NO in serum and endothelins in plasma of patients with stroke.

DESIGN:

Case-controlled observation.

SETTING:

Neurological Department and Clinical Neurological Laboratory of the Second Hospital affiliated to Suzhou University.

PARTICIPANTS:

A total of 216 patients with acute cerebral infarction including 133 males and 83 females and 112 cases with cerebral hemorrhage including 68 males and 44 females were selected from Neurological Department of the Second Hospital affiliated to Suzhou University from September 1999 to December 2001. Another 106 subjects including 63males and 43 females were regarded as healthy control group.

METHODS:

Contents of NO in serum and endothelins in plasma were measured on 328 patients with stroke and 106 healthy subjects in the courses of 1-3 days, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks with nitrate reductase and radio-immunity methods, respectively.MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

Contents of NO in serum and endothelins in plasma; ratio between NO in serum and endothelins in plasma (NO/endothelins).

RESULTS:

① As compared with those in the control group, content of NO in serum of patients with cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage was decreased and reached the lowest value during acute period (within 1-3 days), and then increased gradually and closed to the normal level at about 4 weeks. In addition, content of endothelins in plasma was increased obviously during acute period, reached the peak at 2 weeks, and then decreased gradually. The level was still high at stage of recovery and closed to normal value within 4-8 weeks. ② As compared with that in the control group, NO/endothelins was decreased in cerebral infarction group at the courses of 1-3 days (P ＜ 0.05), reached the lowest value at 1 week (P ＜ 0.001), and increased to the normal level at 2 weeks. Moreover,NO/endothelins was remarkably decreased in cerebral hemorrhage group at the courses of 1-3 days (P ＜ 0.001), reached the lowest value at 1week (P ＜ 0.001), and increased gradually. The changes of course were great and the level reached above normal value at 8 weeks. There was significant difference of dynamic changes of NO/endothelins between cerebral hemorrhage group and cerebral infarction group (P ＜ 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

NO and endothelins play an important role in onset and development of ischemic cerebrovascular disease and hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease, and their contents are related to prognosis.