Intracranial stentosis is one of the important causes of ischemic stroke. In recently years, with the continuously development of endovascular intervention, angioplasty and stenting have become effective treatment options for intracranial stenosis. However, the indications, technical points, complications and prognosis of this treatment remain to be investigated and explored.

Objective To investigate the dynamic change of serum high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) after carotid artery stenting (CAS) and its correlation with in-stent restenosis.Methods The serum hsCRP levels were determined before procedure,at 12 hours,7 days,3 and 6 months after procedure in patients who underwent CAS in the Department of Neurology,Jinling Hospital,Nanjing Their cerebral angiography was reexamined and whether there was in-stent restenosis after 6 months was observed.Results Eighty-four patients treated with CAS were included in the study.Fifteen (24％) had in-stent restenosis after CAS.The stenosis in 3 of them was ＞ 50％,and the stenosis m 12 of them was 30％ to 50％.The serum hs-CRP levels in all patients after procedure were significantly higher than those before treatment (all P ＜ 0.01 ),and they were significantly lower at 6 months after procedure than before treatment (all P ＜0.01).Univariate analysis showed that the proportion of diabetes in the restenosis group was significantly higher than that in the non-restenosis group (P＜0.01).At 7 days (8.83 ± 1.94 mg/L vs.6.77 ± 1.63 mg/L,t =14.398,P=0.044),3 months after procedure (8.26 ± 1.32 mg/L vs.4.58 ± 1.45 mg/L,t =17.569,P =0.008) and 6 months after procedure (7.04 ± i.07 mg/L vs.3.12 ± 1.28 mg/L,t =21.867,P =0.003),the serum hs-CRP levels in the restenosis group were significantly higher than those in the non-restenosis group,and the difference of the serum hs-CRP level (△ hs-CRP) before procedure and at 6 month after procedure was significantly lower than that in the nonrestenosis group (0.85 ± 0.13 mg/L vs.4.89 ± 0.94 mg/L,t =16.987,P =0.000).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that /hs-CRP (odds ratio [ OR] 2.392,95％ confidence interval [ CI] 1.538 -3.513; P =0.009) and diabetes (OR 1.840,95％ CI 1.372 -2.241; P =0.023) were the risk factors for instent restenosis.Conclusions The serum hs-CRP level increased significantly at 12 hours after CAS procedure,and then decreased continuously.At 6 months after procedure,the more decrease of the serum hs-CRP level,the lower risk of occurring in-stent restenosis was.

Objective To investigate the effects of the distribution characteristics of cerebral artery stenosis and the associated risk factors in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease.Methods The demographic data and vascular risk factors in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease who performed aortic arch and cerebral angiography were analyzed retrospectively.The patients were divided into intracranial lesion,extracranial lesion and extra-and intracranial lesion groups according to the lesion sites.The demographic data and vascular risk factors in all groups were compared.Results A total of 1272 patients were enrolled,and 1028 (80.8％) had cerebral artery stenosis or occlusion,in which 342 (33.3％) were intracranial lesions,330(32.1％) were extracranial lesions,and 356 (34.6％) were extra-and intracranial lesions.The mean age of the intracranial lesion group was significantly lower than that of the other 2 groups (F =41.995,P =0.000).There were significant differences in the constituent ratios of sex (x2 =10.602,P =0.005),hypertension (x2 =11.316,P =0.003),and diabetes (x2 =13.465,P =0.001) among all groups.There were significant differences in the distribution of extra-and intracranial artery stenosis among different age groups (P =0.001).Intracranial lesions were mainly in the youth and middle-aged groups,and extra-and intracranial lesions in the old age group were more common.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age,hypertension,diabetes and history of transient ischemic attack were associated with the simple intracranial lesions and extra-and intracranial lesions,and the simple extracranial lesions were only associated with advanced age and hypertension.The 1028 patients with vascular stenosis or occlusion affected 2732 vessels,including 1759 vessels (64.4％) in anterior circulation and 973 (35.6％) in posterior circulation.The mild,moderate and severe stenosis in anterior circulation were most common in extracranial internal carotid artery,and the occlusion was most common in middle cerebral artery.The various degrees of lesions in posterior circulation were most common in extracranial internal carotid artery.Conclusions There were significant differences in patients with cerebrovascular lesions at different sites in sex,age,as well as in the incidences of hypertension and diabetes.Age,hypertension,diabetes and the history of transient ischemic attack were the independent predictive factors for the distribution of cerebral atherosclerotic lesions.

BACKGROUND:Endothelial progenitor cels are widely used in the treatment of various vascular diseases, and early exercise training contributes to restore motor function after spinal cord injury. However, the therapeutic effects of endothelial progenitor cel transplantation or early exercise training alone are unfavorable. OBJECTIVE:To observe the influence of transplantation of endothelial progenitor cels combined with early exercise training on blood vessel regeneration and hind limb function in rats after spinal cord injury. METHODS:Eighty adult Sprague-Dawley rats were enroled to establish spinal cord injury models using the modified Alen’s method, and then randomly divided into four groups. Rats were respectively given culture mediumvia the tail vein, injection of endothelial progenitor cels (3×106)via the tail vein, roler and treadmil trainings for 2 weeks, or injection of endothelial progenitor celsvia the tail vein folowed by 2 weeks of roler and treadmil trainings in the model, cel transplantation, exercise and combined groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:At 2 weeks after transplantation, the hindlimb motor function of rats in the combined group was better than that in the cel transplantation group and exercise group, and moreover, the percentage of CM-Dil positive cels, the number of horseradish peroxidase-positive nerve fibers, capilary density and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor were also significantly higher in the combined group than the cel transplantation group and exercise group. These findings indicate that early exercise training has a neuroprotective role in spinal cord injury; endothelial progenitor cel transplantation combined with early exercise training can promote regeneration of synapses and blood vessels and improve hindlimb motor function of rats, probably by increasing expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that neural stem cel transplantation combined with exercise training can promote the recovery of hindlimb motor function from spinal cord injury in rats, but its mechanism of action has not been fuly elucidated. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of early exercise training combined with neural stem cel transplantation on the recovery of hindlimb motor function in rats with spinal cord injury. METHODS:Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats with spinal cord injury were randomly divided into three groups: control group (n=20, given conventional treatment after injury), cel transplantation group (n=20, given neural stem cel transplantation after injury), experimental group, (n=20, given neural stem cel transplantation combined with early exercise training after injury). Recovery of the hindlimb motor function was assessed by Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan scale and inclined plane test before and at 1, 7, 14, 21 days after injury. Western blot assay was used to detect caspase-3 and myeloperoxidase expression. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was done at 21 days after injury to observe the structure changes of the injured spinal cord. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Scores of Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan scale and inclined plane test were significantly better in the experimental group than the cel transplantation group folowed by the control group (P < 0.05). (2) In the control group, the expression of caspase-3 and myeloperoxidase was significantly increased at 14 days after injury. In the cel transplantation, the expression of caspase-3 and myeloperoxidase was significantly higher than the experimental group (P < 0.05). (3) Pathological inflammation was reduced most in the experimental group folowed by the cel transplantation group. In the experimental group, the structure of injured spinal cord was improved and became relatively clear and intact. These findings indicate that neural stem cell transplantation combined with early exercise training can effectively promote the recovery of hindlimb motor function from spinal cord injury in rats, by reducing the expression of caspase-3 and myeloperoxidase and alleviating secondary lesion of the spinal cord.

Objective Neuroinflammation following traumatic brain injury (TBI) may give rise to neurodisorder.This study aimed to investigate the effect of intranasal delivery of nerve growth factor ( NGF) on neuroinflammation following TBI and its action mechanism in rats. Methods Thirty-six male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were equally divided into a sham , a TBI, and a TBI+NGF group.The rats in the TBI +NGF group were treated with NGF intranasally at 12 and 24 hours after TBI.The levels of IL-1βand TNF-αin the injured cerebral cortex were detected by ELISA , the DNA-binding activity of NF-κB evaluated by EMSA , and the expres-sion of amyloid-β( Aβ42 ) determined by Western blot . Results NGF attenuated the inflammation following TBI .Compared with the TBI group, the level of IL-1βwas obviously decreased in the TBI +NGF group at 12 hours (70.65 ±3.10 vs 37.51 ±1.92) and 24 hours (68.85 ±8.10 vs 36.23 ±2.99, P<0.05), and so was that of TNF-α(47.12 ±7.38 vs 27.63 ±5.77 and 56.15 ±11.20 vs 29.94 ±8.62, P<0.05).The DNA-binding activity of NF-κB was reduced to 111.62 ±0.49 and 131.52 ±0.88, and the expression of Aβ42 to 0.23 ±0.008 and 0.52 ±0.004 at 12 and 24 hours respectively after treatment with NGF , both with statistically significant differences from the TBI group (P<0.05). Conclusion Intranasal administration of NGF attenuates TBI-induced neuroinflamma-tion in rats, which may be associated with its regulatory effect on the Aβ42/NF-κB signaling pathway .

Objective:Atherosclerotic reanal artery stenosis(RAS) exists as one manifestation of more generalized atherosclerosis.It is important to find RAS in the population of carotid artery stenosis.The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of RAS in patients with carotid artery stenosis and to identify the risk factors for RAS.Methods:A total of 126 patients were carried out renal artery angiography after cerebral angiography.A univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association of the clinical variables with RAS.Results: Renal artery stenosis was identified in 23(21.4%) patients.Multivariate predictors included coronary artery disease(OR=6.34,95%CI: 2.20-18.26) and peripheral vascular disease(OR=3.67,95%CI: 1.29-10.46). Conclusion: Coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease may be clinical predictors for RAS.

Objective To investigate the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS)and plasma homocysteine(Hcy)levels in patients with ischemie cerebrovascular disease(ICVD).Methods Seventy-six patients with ICVD were monitored with polysomnography(PSG) for 7-8 hours during sleeping.The levels of fibrinogen(FBG),high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDLC),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),triglyceride(TG)and plasma Hey were assessed.Results Of the 76 ICVD patients,57 showed apnea symptom during sleeping,of which 53(69.7%)were diagnosed with OSAHS and 4 with central sleep apnea,According to the mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI),the severity of apnea was classified as no apnea symptom(19 cases with mean AHI of 2.38±0.96 and Hey level of(8.78 ±2.01)μmol/L),mild apnea(21 cages with mean AHI of 14.14 ±4.37 and Hcy level of(12.91 ±3.00)μmol/L),moderate apnea(24 cases with mean AHI of 29.62±5.81 and Hcy level of(14.85 ±4.15)μmol/L)and severe apnea(8 cases with mean AHI of 46.75±2.82 and Hcy level of(19.30±4.82)μmol/L).The level of Hcy was statistical significant among these 4 groups(F=40.32,P<0.01)and correlated with the mean AHI(r=0.598,P<0.01).Conclusion Patients with ICVD have a high morbidity of OSAHS,mainly suffering from mild to moderate apnea;The plasma Hcy level elevates in the ICVD patients with OSAHS and is correlated with the severity of apnea.