Acidosis is a hallmark of ischemic stroke and a promising neuroprotective target for preventing neuronal injury. Previously, genetic manipulations showed that blockade of acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a)-mediated acidotoxicity could dramatically alleviate the volume of brain infarct and restore neurological function after cerebral ischemia. However, few pharmacological candidates have been identified to exhibit efficacy on ischemic stroke through inhibition of ASIC1a. In this work, we examined the ability of a toxin-inspired compound 5b (C5b), previously found to effectively inhibit ASIC1a in vitro, to exert protective effects in animal models of ischemic stroke in vivo. We found that C5b exerts significant neuroprotective effects not only in acid-induced neuronal death in vitro but also ischemic brain injury in vivo, suggesting that ASIC1a is a druggable target for therapeutic development. More importantly, C5b is able to cross the blood brain barrier and significantly reduce brain infarct volume when administered intravenously in the ischemic animal model, highlighting its systemic availability for therapies against neurodegeneration due to acidotoxicity. Together, our data demonstrate that C5b is a promising lead compound for neuroprotection through inhibiting ASIC1a, which warrants further translational studies.
A meta-analysis and systematic review assessing randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was sought to determine whether subcutaneous injection of insulin with hypertonic glucose promotes healing in postoperative incisions with aseptic fat liquefaction. We searched the Cochrane library, Pubmed, EMBASE, National Science Digital Library (NSDL) and China Biological Medicine Database (CBMdisc) for literature published from 1 January 1990 to 30 September 2011. RCTs that evaluated subcutaneous injection of insulin with hypertonic glucose as a treatment for postoperative wound with fat liquefaction were sought. Wound healing was the primary endpoint. Jadad score and Cochrane Collaboration's tool were used for assessing quality of studies and risk of bias. We abstracted data regarding time to wound healing, cost and adverse effects. The random-effects inverse variance model was used for all analyses using weighted mean difference and 95% confidence interval. Eight trials (414 participants) were identified that met the inclusion criteria. Subcutaneous injection of insulin with hypertonic glucose significantly reduces time to healing by 6·33 days compared with conventional drainage, with less cost. There was no report concerning adverse effects. Subcutaneous injection of insulin with hypertonic glucose may improve the healing process in postoperative wounds with aseptic fat liquefaction.
Introduction: Percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy is a simple and effective treatment for lumbar intervertebral disc herniation, and local anesthesia is often applied in this kind of surgery in many developing countries, including China. However, many patients still feel excruciating pain under this condition. Epidural anesthesia with low-concentration ropivacaine has no impact on muscle strength, and patients might follow the surgeon well during operation. We hypothesize that epidural anesthesia is feasible for percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy. Methods: Two hundred patients with disc herniation who underwent percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy were randomized to receive either epidural anesthesia or local infiltration anesthesia. Primary outcome measures included the pain score, the cooperation degree, and patients' satisfaction. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate were also recorded. Results: Compared with the local anesthesia group, visual analog scale scores, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate were significantly lower in the epidural anesthesia group (P < 0.05), and patients' satisfaction was higher. There were no significant differences in the total operation time or blood loss between two groups. Conclusions: Epidural anesthesia with low-concentration ropivacaine and sufentanil is safe and effective for percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.