Detecting prokaryote-specific gene and other bacterial signatures in thrombi from patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Background And Purpose: Microbial infection has been associated with thrombogenesis. This study aimed to detect bacterium-specific genes and other signatures in thrombi from patients with acute ischemic stroke and to relate these signatures to clinical characteristics.

Methods: Blood samples were collected before thrombectomy procedures, and thrombus samples were obtained during the procedure.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on treatment delay and short-term neurological functional prognosis for acute ischemic stroke during the lockdown period.

Background: Preventive strategies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic may negatively influence the management of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Nowadays, studies have demonstrated that the pandemic has led to a delay in treatment among patients with AIS. Whether this delay contributes to meaningful short-term outcome differences warranted further exploration.

Delayed Stroke Treatment during COVID-19 Pandemic in China.

Background: Social distance, quarantine, pathogen testing, and other preventive strategies implemented during CO-VID-19 pandemic may negatively influence the management of acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Objective: The current study aimed to evaluate the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on treatment delay of AIS in China.

Methods: This study included patients with AIS admitted in 2 hospitals in Jiangsu, China.

TNFRSF11B polymorphisms predict poor outcome after large artery atherosclerosis stroke.

Osteoprotegerin is involved in the progression of atherosclerosis. This study aimed to determine whether TNFRSF11B polymorphisms are associated with prognosis of large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) stroke. Three TNFRSF11B polymorphisms (rs2073617, rs2073618 and rs3134069) were genotyped in 1010 patients with LAA stroke.

Recurrent risk of ischemic stroke due to Vertebrobasilar Dolichoectasia.

Background: Patients with vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia usually have persistent hemodynamic abnormalities, and therefore, may bear an increased risk of stroke. This study aimed to identify risk factors for stroke recurrence in patients with vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia.

Methods: Patients with acute ischemic stroke were screened and evaluated for eligibility.

Preprocedural Neutrophil to Albumin Ratio Predicts In-Stent Restenosis Following Carotid Angioplasty and Stenting.

Background And Purpose: In-stent restenosis (ISR) is unfavorable to the long-term efficacy of carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS). Inflammation plays a critical role in the development of ISR. The aim of the study was to investigate whether neutrophil to albumin ratio (NAR) is a predictor of ISR in patients undergoing CAS.

Carotid Geometry as a Predictor of In-Stent Neointimal Hyperplasia - A Computational Fluid Dynamics Study.

Background: Carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) is emerging as an alternative treatment for carotid stenosis, but neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) remains a drawback of this treatment strategy. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of variations of carotid bifurcation geometry on local hemodynamics and NIH.

Methods and results: Hemodynamic and geometric effects on NIH were compared between 2 groups, by performing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations both on synthetic models and patient-specific models.

Enhancing the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation with intravenously injected magnetic nanoparticles.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive and clinically approved method for treating neurological disorders. However, the relatively weak intracranial electric current induced by TMS is an obvious inferiority which can only produce limited treatment effects in clinical application. The present study aimed to investigate the possibility of enhancing the effects of TMS with intravenously administrated magnetic nanoparticles.

Impact of Smoking Status on Stroke Recurrence.

Background Smoking is a well-established risk factor of stroke and smoking cessation has been recommended for stroke prevention; however, the impact of smoking status on stroke recurrence has not been well studied to date. Methods and Results Patients with first-ever stroke were enrolled and followed in the NSRP (Nanjing Stroke Registry Program). Smoking status was assessed at baseline and reassessed at the first follow-up.

Magnetic stimulation of carotid sinus as a treatment for hypertension.

Previously, we reported that magnetic stimulation of carotid sinus (MSCS) could lower arterial pressure in rabbits. In this randomized, sham-controlled pilot study, we evaluated the effects of MSCS on blood pressure in pre-hypertensive and hypertensive subjects. A total of 15 subjects with blood pressure higher than 130/80 mm Hg were randomized to receive sham or 1Hz MSCS.

HDAC9 Polymorphisms Predict Susceptibility, Severity, and Short-Term Outcome of Large Artery Atherosclerotic Stroke in Chinese Population.

Recently, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) detected two histone deacetylase 9 (HDAC9) polymorphisms (rs2074633 and rs28688791) which may be associated with risk of large artery atherosclerotic (LAA) stroke. This study aimed to investigate whether these two polymorphisms were associated with susceptibility, severity, and short-term outcome of LAA stroke in a southern Chinese Han population. rs2074633 and rs28688791 were genotyped using SNPscan technology in 1011 LAA stroke patients and 1121 healthy controls.

New vessels formation in young strokes with isolated steno-occlusive MCA.

Objective: New vessels formation (NVF) along the steno-occlusive middle cerebral artery (MCA) is often observed in digital subtraction angiography (DSA) imaging. In the study, we aim to explore the clinical relevance of NVF in young ischemic stroke patients with isolated middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the digital subtraction angiography (DSA) images of 93 young ischemic stroke patients (age ≤ 45 years old) in our center from January 2006 to June 2016.

A GWAS-supported variant interacting with diabetes predicts risk of atherothrombotic stroke in Han Chinese population.

Background: A recent genome-wide association study has identified that rs4376531 variant conferred risk of atherothrombotic stroke (AS) in a Japanese population. This study was to explore the association in Han Chinese population.

Methods: A total of 1036 cases and 643 healthy controls were enrolled.

Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio as a Predictor of Restenosis After Angioplasty and Stenting for Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis.

The inflammatory response plays a vital role in the development of in-stent restenosis (ISR) after carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS). The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been suggested as a sensitive inflammatory marker. We explored the association between NLR and ISR in CAS patients.

Mean Platelet Volume as a Predictor for Restenosis After Carotid Angioplasty and Stenting.

Background And Purpose: Platelet aggregation plays a vital role in the development of in-stent restenosis (ISR) after carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS). Mean platelet volume (MPV) has been suggested as an index of platelet reactivity. This study aimed to investigate the association between MPV and ISR in CAS patients.

Restenosis after carotid artery stenting.

As a common etiology for ischemic stroke, atherosclerotic carotid stenosis has been targeted by vascular surgery since 1950s. Compared with carotid endarterectomy, carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) is almost similarly efficacious and less invasive. These advantages make CAS an alternative in treating carotid stenosis.

Environmental cues associated with morphine modulate release of glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid in ventral subiculum.

Objective To investigate whether environmental cues associated with different properties of morphine could regulate the extracellular levels of glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the hippocampal ventral subiculum, which play a critical role in the reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior induced by environmental cues. Methods Conditioning place preference (CPP) and conditioning place aversion (CPA) models were used to establish environment associated with rewarding and aversive properties of morphine respectively. Microdialysis and high performance liquid chromatography were used to measure the extracelluar level of glutamate and GABA in the ventral subiculum under these environmental cues.

The effect of L-stepholidine, a novel extract of Chinese herb, on the acquisition, expression, maintenance, and re-acquisition of morphine conditioned place preference in rats.

The effect of L-stepholidine (SPD), a novel alkaloid extract of the Chinese herb Stephania with partial dopamine D1 receptor agonistic and D2 receptor antagonistic dual actions, on morphine conditioned place preference (CPP) was studied. Daily injection of morphine (10 mg/kg, i.p.

Different roles of dopamine receptor subtypes in footshock stress-induced enhancement of morphine conditioned place preference.

The present study investigated the involvement of dopamine mechanism in the effect of intermittent footshock stress on the morphine-induced place preference. A single intermittent footshock session significantly enhanced the place preference induced by 3.0mg/kg morphine.