ABSTRACT
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has long been used to treat various diseases, including cerebral ischemia. The specific molecular mechanism of TCM in the treatment of cerebral ischemia, however, is still unclear. This study investigated the effects of gastrodin, electroacupuncture and their combination on cerebral ischemic rats. We used Nissl staining, immunohistochemical staining and immunoblotting to detect the expression changes of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the frontal cortex. The results showed that the combination therapy of gastrodin and electroacupuncture significantly increased the number of Nissl-positive neurons and improved cell morphology compared with other groups. Mechanistically, we found that the combination of gastrodin and electroacupuncture treatment group can restore the abnormal morphology of neuronal cells caused by cerebral ischemia by rebalancing the expression levels of BDNF and IL-6. Our research indicates that gastrodin combined with electroacupuncture has a significant protective effect on cerebral ischemic injury in rats, possibly by regulating the expression of BDNF and IL-6. This combination therapy is superior to single-drug or electroacupuncture therapy.
Subject(s)
Benzyl Alcohols , Brain Ischemia , Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor , Disease Models, Animal , Electroacupuncture , Glucosides , Interleukin-6 , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Animals , Electroacupuncture/methods , Benzyl Alcohols/pharmacology , Glucosides/pharmacology , Glucosides/therapeutic use , Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism , Interleukin-6/metabolism , Male , Brain Ischemia/metabolism , Brain Ischemia/prevention & control , Rats , Combined Modality Therapy/methods , Stroke/metabolism , Neurons/drug effects , Neurons/metabolismABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of circumferential pulmonary vein ostial isolation guided by EnSite NavX three-dimensional electrophysiological mapping in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with drug refractory paroxysmal or persistent AF underwent circumferential pulmonary vein ostial isolation and were followed up to investigate the efficacy and safety of the treatment. RESULTS: All cases reached the endpoint of the ablation, and both sides of the pulmonary vein were completely isolated, with an average procedure time of 200.4-/+37.0 min, X-ray exposure time of 54.7-/+9.7 min, and three-dimensional left atrial geometry reconstruction time of 27.5-/+7.5 min. During the follow-up for 9-/+3 months, the success rate of initial ablation was 89.5%, and the incidence of procedure-related complications were 7.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Circumferential pulmonary vein ostial isolation guided by EnSite NavX three-dimensional electrophysiological mapping can be effective and safe for AF treatment.
