1.The effects of combining hyperbaric oxygen with qingkailing on metabolic markers after traumatic brain injury
Juanjuan FENG ; Zhi SUN ; Lianping XUE ; Wengting LI ; Yangyang LIU ; Jie ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2024;46(5):438-442
Objective:To analyze any effect of combining hyperbaric oxygen with qingkailing on the metabolic biomarkers of consciousness disorder (CD) caused by brain trauma using metabolomics technology. Also, to screen out diagnostic markers for clinical treatment and prognosis.Methods:Thirty-six patients with a CD caused by brain trauma formed the observation group, while 40 healthy gender-, age- and ethnicity-matched individuals were the control group. Both groups were given routine supportive treatment, while the observation group additionally received hyperbaric oxygen and oral qingkailing medication. Before and after 14 days consciousness disturbance was evaluated using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). Venous blood was collected for metabolomic analysis using liquid chromatography linked to a mass spectrometer to screen out specific metabolic biomarkers. Metabolic markers associated with the disease and of diagnostic significance were thus identified.Results:After the treatment the average GCS score of the observation group had improved significantly and the degree of coma was significantly relieved. Twenty-one metabolic markers were found to be significant, with creatine, proline, uric acid, acetyl-L-carnitine, histidine, proline leucine, tryptophan and 9E-octagenoic acid potentially of high diagnostic value. After the treatment, all of those markers came close to the levels observed in the healthy control group.Conclusions:Proline, leucine, 9E-octagenoleic acid, uric acid and acetyl-L-carnitine could be used for diagnosis and evaluating efficacy with such patients. Hyperbaric oxygen supplemented with qingkailing can relieve coma, correct metabolic disorders and accelerate patients′ awakening. Metabolomics provides a new method for identifying endogenous metabolic abnormalities in patients with post-traumatic consciousness disorders. It can be useful in prognosis and clinical treatment.