Search

Background. Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a progressive occlusive cerebrovascular disease that is characterized by abnormal angiogenesis at the base of the brain. This pathological abnormal angiogenesis is susceptible to disturbances, including spontaneous hemorrhage and vasogenic edema. However, the underlying mechanisms of pathological angiogenesis and occurrence of hemorrhage are unclear. Angiopoietins play a fundamental role in the pathophysiology of central nervous system disorders in angiogenesis. This study was aimed at examining whether angiopoietins are associated with formation of abnormal collateral vessels and the occurrence of hemorrhage in adult-onset moyamoya disease (HMMD). Methods. A total of 27 consecutive adult patients with HMMD were enrolled from June 2011 to May 2017. Serum levels of angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) and angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Patients with HMMD were compared with those with spontaneous hemorrhage (controls) and nonhemorrhagic-onset MMD (NHMMD). Results. Serum Ang-2 levels were significantly higher in patients with adult HMMD than in those with spontaneous hemorrhage and NHMMD. The ROC curve identified that a baseline serum Ang-2 level>1230 ng/ml may be associated with adult HMMD with 88.39% sensitivity and 70.37% specificity (area under the curve (AUC), 0.89; 95% CI, 0.808-0.973; P<0.001). Moreover, serum Ang-2 levels were significantly elevated in stages II, III, and IV. In subgroup analysis of a high and low degree of moyamoya vessels, serum Ang-2 levels were significantly higher in the high moyamoya vessel group than in the low moyamoya vessel group. Serum Ang-2 levels were also significantly higher in the low moyamoya vessel group compared with the control group. Serum Ang-1 levels were not significantly different among the groups. Conclusion. Increased serum Ang-2 levels may contribute to pathological abnormal angiogenesis and/or to the instability of vascular structure and function, thus causing brain hemorrhage in adult HMMD.

Background. Buyang Huanwu decoction (BYHWD), an important traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been used clinically for centuries for the treatment of various diseases. The study aims to explore the BYHWD effects on angiogenesis and neuroprotection after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CI/R) injury in rats and to explore the underlying angiogenic roles and mechanisms of BYHWD in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induced oxidative stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) model. Methods. The effects of BYHWD on neurological function were screened by measuring neurological deficits, spatial memory function, and angiogenesis (by microvascular density (MVD) and cerebral blood flow (CBF)) after CI/R injury in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in vivo in rats. In vitro, we examined the angiogenic roles and mechanisms of action of BYHWD in an H2O2-induced oxidative stress HUVECs model by measuring cell viability, apoptosis, vascular tube formation, intracellular ROS generation, NADPH oxidase (Nox) activity, and Nox4 protein expression. Results. BYHWD significantly improved neurological function, including neurological deficits and spatial learning and memory, and significantly increased MVD and CBF in the ischemic penumbra after CI/R injury in rats. BYHWD significantly increased cell viability, inhibited apoptosis, induced vascular tube formation, decreased intracellular ROS generation, and reduced Nox activity and Nox4 protein expression in H2O2-treated HUVECs in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions. Our study demonstrates that BYHWD promotes neurological function recovery and increases angiogenesis. BYHWD exerts angiogenic effects against cerebral ischemic injury through the downregulation of Nox4, which results in the reduction of ROS generation.

Intramedullary spinal cord metastases from renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) are rare and can cause serious diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas. The related reports are very few. This review was aimed to perform an analysis of all reported cases with intramedullary spinal cord metastases from RCCs. In January 2018, we performed a literature search in PubMed database using a combination of the keywords “intramedullary spinal cord metastasis” and “renal cell carcinoma”. In addition, we present the clinical, neuroradiological, and histopathological findings in our patient with an intramedullary metastasis from a RCC. 17 cases were generated in our research. The mean interval from diagnosis of RCC to diagnosis of ISCM was 22 months. The median survival of surgically treated patients was 8.6 months and 8 months in patients who underwent radical surgery. Based on our review, RCCs can invade the medulla of the spinal cord several years after removal of the primary lesion. The prognosis of ISCMs from RCCs was poor. Retrograde passage of tumor cells into the spinal cord from the inferior vena cava via the epidural venous sinuses may have been the pathological mechanism for ISCM in our patient. Radical resection and radiation are effective ways of achieving recovery of neurologic function and improving quality of life. More reports are needed to enable exploration of the mechanisms of metastasis and the optimal forms of therapy.