Objective To investigate the clinical effect of edaravone on free radical damage after acute stroke. Methods The 60 patients with acute stroke were randomly divided into therapy group and control group. Both the groups were treated with routine approaches of dehydration, intracranial pressure reducing and blood pressure control. The treatment with balanced saline 250 ml plus edaravone 30 mg, intravenously infusion twice a day, was adopted in therapy group, while the control group received balanced saline 250 ml only, the treatment lasted for 14 days. Before and 14 days after treatment, the neurologic impairment analysis, activity of daily living scale (ADL) and serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) were checked. Results Compared with control group, after 14 dtreatment, the improvements in neurologic impairment analysis (7.5±5.4 vs. 15.9±7.9, P＜0.05),ADL (58.32±11.57 vs. 43.73± 12.48, P＜0.05) and SOD[(157.25±21.81)mmol/L vs. (127.08 ± 13. 14)mmol/L, P＜0. 05] occurred in therapy group. Conclusions Edaravone could increase the ability of cleaning free radicals and promoting function of nerves recovery.

BACKGROUND:Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging can display the dispersion changes of peripheral nerve injury and be used to conduct quantitative research, so it has good application prospects in displaying the nerve injury and regeneration. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the possibility of magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging of rabbit acute sciatic nerve traction injury, and to figure out the value of diffusion tensor parameters in the diagnosis of peripheral nerve injuries and to reveal the pathologic basis. METHODS:The right hind limb sciatic nerves of 32 New Zealand white rabbits were selected to make the regeneration and repair models, the left hind limb nerves as the sham-operation side. Diffusion tensor imaging examination of sciatic nerves were performed at 1 and 3 days, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after operation with 1.5 T MRI. Fractional anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficient were measured through diffusion tensor tracing
reconstruction, and then the pathological examination was performed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Diffusion tensor imaging revealed only the proximal nerve, injured nerve as wel as the middle of the distal nerve at 1 day after traction injury. At 1 week, the nerve of distal portion appeared thinner and shorter fiber bundle. At 2-6 weeks after operation, the fiber bundle was increased and thickened. At 8 weeks after operation, the distal nerve fibers had nearly restored to the level before injury. There was significant difference in the fractional anisotropy value of traction portion and distal portions between traction injury and sham-operation group at 1 day-8 weeks after operation (P<0.05). While there was significant difference in the fractional anisotropy value of proximal traction portion between traction injury and sham-operation group 1 day-1 week after operation (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the apparent diffusion coefficient values between traction injury and sham-operation group at 1 day-8 weeks after operation. Fal of fractional anisotropy value in the early stage of nerve traction injury was the result of myelin sheath broke down and axonal disintegrated;recovery of fractional anisotropy value resulted from myelin sheath proliferated and myelin sheath grew slowly to mature. Diffusion tensor tracing can show the abnormal change of the sciatic nerve with traction injury in rabbit clearly and early, and the measurement of fractional anisotropy value can be used as the sensitive method to monitor the degeneration and regeneration after nerve traction injury.

Objective: To explore the changes and signiifcance of serum level of salusins in patients with essential hypertension (EH), obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and OSAHS complicated hypertension.
Methods: Our research included 4 groups: EH+OSAHS group,n=50, EH group,n=60, OSAHS group,n=35 and Control group,n=31 healthy subjects. Blood pressure, AHI index, body weight, height and routine biochemical examination were conducted and recorded in all subjects, serum levels of salusin-α and salusin-β were detected by ELISA, the relationship between each variable and OSAHS complicated hypertension was studied by multivariate Logistic regression analysis.
Results:①Serum levels of salusin-α were reduced accordingly as in Control group (7.438±1.626) pg/ml, in OSAHS group (6.186±1.200) pg/ml, in EH group (5.938±1.287) pg/ml and in EH+OSAHS group (5.299±1.398) pg/ml; for difference between OSAHS group and EH group,P>0.05 and for differences between other groups, allP<0.01.②Serumlevels of salusin-βwere decreased accordingly as in Control group (10.575±1.791) pg/ml, in OSAHS group (10.279±0.530) pg/ml, in EHgroup (9.698±0.344) pg/ml and in EH+OSAHS group (9.070±0.586) pg/ml; for differences between OSAHS group and Control group, EH group, bothP>0.05 and fordifferences between other groups, allP<0.05.③Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that serum level of salusin-α was independently and negatively related to OSAHS complicated hypertension (OR=-0.736,P<0.05); serum level of salusin-β was independently and negatively related to OSAHS complicated hypertension (r=-0.731,P<0.05).
Conclusion: Low serum levels of salusin-α and salusin-β were related to OSAHS complicated hypertension.