Combined therapy of intensive statin plus intravenous rt-PA in acute ischemic stroke: the INSPIRE randomized clinical trial.

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of intensive statin in the acute phase of ischemic stroke after intravenous thrombolysis therapy.

Methods: A total of 310 stroke patients treated with rt-PA were randomly scheduled into the intensive statin group (rosuvastatin 20 mg daily × 14 days) and the control group (rosuvastatin 5 mg daily × 14 days). The primary clinical endpoint was excellent functional outcome (mRS ≤ 1) at 3 months, and the primary safety endpoint was symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) in 90 days.

Analysis of the characteristics of persistent postural-perceptual dizziness: A clinical-based study in China.

Objective: Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a common cause of chronic dizziness, but only a few studies have reported its clinical characteristics, and no related research has been performed in China. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of PPPD for the first time in China.

Design: Data was collected from all patients during standard clinical practice, and further to evaluate the characteristics of PPPD comparing with the control group.

Sulforaphane exerts neuroprotective effects via suppression of the inflammatory response in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia.

Inflammatory damage plays an important role in cerebral ischemic pathogenesis and may represent a promising target for treatment. Sulforaphane exerts protective effects in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by alleviating brain edema. However, the possible mechanisms of sulforaphane after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury have not been fully elucidated.

Protective effects of luteolin against cognitive impairment induced by infusion of Aβ peptide in rats.

Luteolin can be found in many traditional Chinese medicines, it's a falconoid compound derived from Lonicera japonica Thunb. This study aims to investigate the neuroprotective effects of luteolin against cognitive impairment induced by amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide and the underlying mechanisms in rats. The animal behavioral tests showed that luteolin could ameliorate Aβ-induced learning and memory impairment.

Literature Review and Case Report of Intravenous Thrombolysis in Acute Cerebral Infarction Attributed to Cervical Arterial Dissection.

Acute cerebral infarction (ACI) caused by cervical arterial dissection (CAD) is a rare clinical disease. Therapeutic approaches include anticoagulant therapy, antiplatelet aggregation, and thrombolytic therapy. Currently, anticoagulant therapy or antiplatelet aggregation is the primary choice, whereas the thrombolytic therapy is still controversial.

Increased serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in autism spectrum disorder.

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) by measuring serum circulating levels of BDNF as well as calcium and comparing them with age-matched and sex-matched normal controls. The study included 75 drug-naive ASD children and 75 age-sex-matched healthy children. The concentration of serum BDNF was determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method at baseline.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 as a prognostic marker in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Objective: Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) has been associated with cardiovascular risk factors and atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic value of IGF-1 levels in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Methods: All patients with first-ever AIS from August 1, 2012 to August 31, 2013 were recruited to participate in the study.

Regulation of adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channels suppresses the toxic effects of amyloid-beta peptide (25-35).

In this study, we treated PC12 cells with 0-20 μM amyloid-β peptide (25-35) for 24 hours to induce cytotoxicity, and found that 5-20 μM amyloid-β peptide (25-35) decreased PC12 cell viability, but adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channel activator diazoxide suppressed the decrease in PC12 cell viability induced by amyloid-β peptide (25-35). Diazoxide protected PC12 cells against amyloid-β peptide (25-35)-induced increases in mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular reactive oxygen species levels. These protective effects were reversed by the selective mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channel blocker 5-hydroxydecanoate.

5'-Aza-dC sensitizes paraquat toxic effects on PC12 cell.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the common neurodegenerative diseases that result in the progressive damage of dopaminergic neurons. Environmental exposure, including paraquat, is considered risky for PD. Epigenetics refer to the study of heritable changes in gene expression that occur without a change in DNA sequence.

[Generation of antitumor response against hepatocellular carcinoma by in vitro transduction of dendritic cells with adeno-associated virus expressing α-fetoprotein].

Objective: To investigate the generation of antitumor response against hepatocellular carcinoma by in vitro transduction of dendritic cells (DC) with recombinant adeno-associated virus expressing α-fetoprotein (rAAV-AFP).

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from healthy volunteers. Adherent peripheral blood mononuclear cells were transduced with AAV-AFP and cultured in the presence of granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor and interleukin-4 to generate dendritic cells.