Risk factors for ischemic stroke complicated with atherosclerotic plaques of lower extremities / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective To investigate the risk factors for acute ischemic stroke in patients with lower extremity atherosclerosis (LEA).Methods The consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to hospital within 7 d after onset were enrolled retrospectively.Color Doppler flow imaging was used to detect LEA.The demographic characteristics,vascular risk factors,and laboratory parameters were identified and analyzed.Results A total of 156 patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled,including 138 with LEA.Univariate analysis showed that age (69.5± 11.8 years vs.60.4± 11.5 years;t =3.063,P =0.003) and the proportion of patients with hypertension (81.1％ vs,55.6％;x2 =2.467,P =0.014) in the LEA group were significantly higher than those in the non-LEA group.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjustment for confounders such as gender,baseline systolic blood pressure,diabetes mellitus,and ischemic heart disease,age (odds ratio [OR] 1.059,95％ confidence interval [CI] 1.016-1.105;P=0.007),and hypertension (OR 3.128,95％ CI 1.084-9.026,P =0.035) were the independent risk factors for acute ischemic stroke complicated with LEA.Conclusions Age and hypertension are associated with acute ischemic stroke complicated with LEA.

Valsartan reverses depressive/anxiety-like behavior and induces hippocampal neurogenesis and expression of BDNF protein in unpredictable chronic mild stress mice.

Valsartan is a synthetic non-peptide angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist that dilates blood vessels and reduces blood pressure by blocking the action of angiotensin, and is safe and well tolerated in hypertensive patients. Population-based studies have suggested a positive role of sartans in reducing the risk of depression. This study aimed at investigating the effects of valsartan on unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) mice by means of open-field test (OFT), novel-suppressed feeding test (NSF), tail suspension test (TST), forced swimming test (FST) and sucrose preference test (SPT). The effects of valsartan on antidepression/antianxiety, hippocampal neurogenesis and BDNF expression were evaluated in these behavior tests. Chronic administration of valsartan (5-40 mg/kg/d, p.o.) increased the time spent in the center of the field in OFT and the latency to eat in NSF, reduced the immobility time in both TST and FST, and increased the sucrose preference in SPT. A similar effect was observed in the positive control group of which the mice were treated with imipramine (30 mg/kg/d, i.p.) and tested by OFT, NSF, TST, FST and SPT. In this study, an impairment in hippocampal neurogenesis which parallelled with a reduced BDNF level in the hippocampus was observed in the mice that were treated with UCMS for 6 weeks. But the proliferation of progenitor cells and generation of new hippocampal neurons were restored after these mice were treated with valsartan (40 mg/kg/d, p.o.) for 4 weeks. These findings demonstrate that valsartan is an effective antidepressant/antianxiety reagent and can promote the hippocampal neurogenesis and expression of BDNF.

Effects of astrocytes in cervical spinal cord posterior horn on allodynia in rat models of migraine / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To explore the effects of astrocytes in cervical spinal cord posterior horn on allodynia in rat models of migraine.Methods Fifty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into 9 groups (each group n =6): blank group,sham surgery group,new inflammatory soup 3 d group (IS 3 d group),new inflammatory soup 7 d group(IS 7 d group),saline group,fluorocitrate (FCA)prevention group,FCA prevention control group,FCA treatment group,FCA treatment control group.Following the IS stimulation in the rat dual matter,Von-Frey hair was used to monitor the pain threshold of periorbital skin.Immunofluorescence technique was used to observe the expression of specific marker of astrocyte,glial fibrilary acidic protein (GFAP),and neuron activation marker,C-fos.Results ①Von-Frey hair study showed the thresholds of IS 3 d group and IS 7 d group were significantly decreased compared with the control group(3 d:5.3 ±0.3 vs 6.4 ±0.3,F =40.15;7 d:3.0 ±0.3 vs 6.3 ±0.2,F =382.5,both P ＜0.01).The pain thresholds of FCA prevention group and FCA treatment group both began to significantly increase at the day 4 (FCA prevention:5.5 ± 5.1 vs 5.1 ± 0.2,F =16.00 ;FCA treatment:4.3 ± 0.2 vs 3.0 ± 0.2,F =138.0,both P ＜ 0.01).②GFAP immunofluorescence showed that the mean optical density (A) values of IS 3 d group and IS 7 d group were significantly increased compared with the control group(3 d:24.5 ±4.4 vs 14.8 ± 2.5,F =32.54;7 d:38.9 ± 7.1 vs 14.6 ± 1.8,F =63.56,both P ＜ 0.01).()C-fosimmunofluorescence showed that mean A value of IS 3 d group was significantly increased compared with the control group (20.4 ± 2.3 vs 8.4 ± 1.1,F =129.0,P ＜ 0.01).The difference was not significant between the IS 7 d group and the control group.Conclusions Activated astrocytes contribute to the facial allodynia induced by chronic dural inflammation.Its inhibitor FCA could both prevent and treat the allodynia behaviour.All of these suggest that astrocytes may not only contribute to the initiation of mechanical allodynia but also the maintenance.

Changes on degranulation of mast cells and neurogenic inflammation-related factors in the dura mater of the rat model of migraine / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To observe the changes on the neurogenic inflammation-related factors in the dura mater of the rat model of migraine and investigate the possible mechanism of the pain of migraine.Methods SD rats were randomly divided into stimulation group ( n = 32 ) and sham group ( n = 32 ).Unilateral trigeminal ganglion was stimulated to induce migraine for rats in the stimulation group. Rats in the sham group were subjected to sham surgery. The levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the blood of jugular vein in the stimulation side were measured by radioimmunoassay. The levels of histamine in peripheral blood and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2 ) in the dura mater were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The number of mast cells and percentage of their degranulation in the dura mater were determined under a microscope after toluidine blue staining. Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2)expression in the dura mater was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis. Results In the stimulation group, the level of CGRP in the ipsilateral jugular vein was (82. 84 ± 16. 24)pg/ml and in the sham group was (59. 20 ±11.66) pg/ml (t = -3.34, P ＜ 0. 05 ). The level of histamine in the ipsilateral jugular vein was ( 11.59 ± 1.20) ng/ml and in the sham group was (9. 87 ±0. 88) ng/ml (t = - 3. 27, P ＜ 0. 05). The number of mast cells in the dura mater decreased from 15.46 ± 2. 40 in the stimulation group to 11.63 ± 1.67 in the sham group ( t = 3.71, P ＜ 0. 05 ). Degranulation of mast cells in the dura mater significantly increased from 14. 09% ±4. 53% in the sham group to 29. 10% ±9. 39% in the stimulation group (t = - 4. 07, P ＜ 0. 05 ). The level of PGE2 in the stimulation group was ( 382. 30 ±20. 90) pg/ml and in the sham group was (80. 70 ± 10. 60) pg/ml (t = - 16. 674, P ＜0. 05). The number of COX-2 positive cells significantly increased from 42. 00 ± 18.40 in the sham group to 139.00 ±20. 50 in the stimulation group (t = -7. 994, P ＜0. 05). Also the COX-2 protein level was elevated from 19. 50 ±9. 20 in the sham group to 359. 20 ±21.90 in the stimulation group (t = -5. 190, P ＜0. 05). Conclusions Electrical stimulation on the unilateral trigeminal ganglion induces neurogenic inflammation in the dura mater. Changes on the neurogenic inflammation-related factors are probably the essential pathophysiological mechanism underlying the pain in migraine.