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Byline: Wang. Zhao, Zhi-Jie. Xiao, Shui-Ping. Zhao Statins are effective cholesterol-lowering drugs for reducing the risks of mortality and morbidity of cardiovascular diseases. Increasing evidence has shown that statin use [...]

Statins are effective cholesterol-lowering drugs for reducing the risks of mortality and morbidity of cardiovascular diseases. Increasing evidence has shown that statin use is associated with a significant beneficial effect in patients with ischemic stroke. Both pre-stroke and post-stroke statin use has been found to be beneficial in ischemic stroke. Furthermore, good adherence is associated with a better clinical outcome, and statin withdrawal is associated with a poor functional outcome in patients with ischemic stroke. High-intensity statin therapy is advocated for the treatment of ischemic stroke. However, there are concerns regarding the adverse effects associated with statin use in ischemic stroke such as intracranial hemorrhage. In this review, we summarize the beneficial effect of statin use in ischemic stroke and discuss the potential risks associated with statin therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context:Polygonum cuspidatumSieb. Et Zucc. (Polygonaceae) has been traditionally used in folk medicine to treat various diseases. Objective: This study investigates the ameliorative effects of physcion 8-O-β-glucopyranoside (PSG) isolated fromP. cuspidatumon learning and memory in dementia rats induced by Aβ1–40. Materials and methods: Dementia rats were prepared by intracerebroventricular injection of Aβ1–40.PSG (5, 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg/d, for 5 d) was administered orally. Ameliorative activity of PSG in dementia rats was evaluated by the Morris water maze (MWM) test, and its mechanisms were explored by evaluating AchE activity, levels of DA, NE, and 5-HT in hippocampus, and drebrin protein expressions in hippocampus. Results: Our results indicated that PSG (5, 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg/d) significantly inhibited the prolonged latency in dementia rats (p < 0.05), and inhibitory rates were 16.5, 22.7, 33.0, and 44.8% after 5 d of learning, indicating that PSG improves learning and memory of dementia rats. Furthermore, PSG significantly decreased AchE activity (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg/d;p < 0.05), increased 5-HT (20 and 40 mg/kg/d,p < 0.05), NE (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg/d;p < 0.05), and DA levels (5, 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg;p < 0.05) in the hippocampus. Additionally, PSG obviously decreased the Aβ contents in hippocampus (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg/d;p < 0.05), and up-regulated drebrin protein expressions (5, 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg/d;p < 0.05). Conclusions: PSG can significantly enhance learning and memory in Aβ1–40-induced dementia rats, and the mechanisms may be related to increase levels of Ach, 5-HT, NE, and DA, decrease Aβ contents, and up-regulation of drebrin proteins in hippocampus. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To observe the effects of different doses of atorvastatin on the plasma hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in patients with acute cerebral infarction., Methods: 131 patients with acute cerebral infarction, 73 males and 58 females, aged 63 +/- 11, were randomly divided into 3 groups: Group A (n = 47), with basal treatment; Group B (n = 42), atorvastatin 10 mg was added every night; and Group C (n = 42), atorvastatin 20 mg was added every night. Before the treatment and 7 and 14 days after the treatment the plasma levels of hsCRP and IL-6, fasting plasma levels of lipid, such as total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein-C (LDL-C), liver functions, such as aspartate aminotransferase (ALT) and alanine transaminase (ALT), creatine kinase (CK), urea nitrogen, were detected. Neurological function deficit was determined. The survival condition was surveyed 6 months after., Results: (1) The TC and LDL-C decreased after treatment in the 3 groups with significant differences between Group A and Group C, Group B and Group C, and Group B and Group C (all P < 0.05). (2) The plasma level of hsCRP decreased by 9.1%, 33.9%, and 30.1% respectively 7 days after treatment in Groups A, B, and C with significant differences between Groups A and B and between Groups A and C (both P < 0.05), however, without significant difference between Group B and Group C. The level of hsCRP decreased by 34.3%, 56.0%, and 52.9% respectively 14 days after treatment in the 3 groups with significant differences between Groups A and B and between Groups A and C (both P < 0.05), however, without significant difference between Group B and Group C. (3) The level of IL-6 decreased 7 and 14 days after treatment in all 3 groups, however, without significant differences between any 2 groups (all P > 0.05). (4) The decrease of hsCRP and decrease of IL-6 were not correlated with the percentage of TC decrease (both P > 0.05) in Group B. The decrease of hsCRP was not correlated with the changes of blood lipids in Group C. (5) Both the plasma hsCRP and IL-6 before treatment were positively correlated with the infection volume and neurological function score (all P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Atorvastatin has an anti-inflammatory action benefiting the alleviation of secondary inflammatory damaged in acute cerebral infarction that is independent of lipid lowering.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene polymorphism and serum lipid profile., Methods: Polymerase chain reaction-restricted fragments length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to determine ApoE genotype on 1452 subjects including 1101 cases with cardio cerebrovascular disease including 379 cases with cerebral infarction, 313 cases with cerebral hemorrhage, 257 cases with coronary heart disease, and 152 cases with other types and on 351 healthy controls., Results: After adjusting for age, sex and BMI, the subjects with ApoE4 carriers had significantly higher levels of total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and ApoB than those with ApoE2 carriers and ApoE3/3 (P < 0.05), and higher level of triglyceride(TG) than those with ApoE3/3 (P < 0.05), while the subjects with ApoE2 carriers had significantly higher levels of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) than those with ApoE4 (P < 0.05). The effects of ApoE polymorphism exhibited similarity in different sex and age of subjects. Linear regression analysis showed that unlike ApoE3/3, the HDL-C level in ApoE2 carriers tend upward with age (beta = 0.178, P = 0.015), significantly higher than ApoE4 carriers and ApoE3/3 in the cohort of 65-74 years (P < 0.05). The level of TC and TG in ApoE4 carriers had a tendency of downward with age (p = -0.179, P = 0.009; beta = -0.147, P = 0.032)., Conclusion: ApoE gene polymorphism affected profile of blood lipids and the effects were found in different sex and age. The degrees of effects related to ApoE2 carriers and ApoE4 carriers to blood lipid level seemed to be related to age.

Objective: To investigate the effect of interaction between paranoxonase 1 (PON1)gene polymorphism and ATP-binding cassette transporter 1 (ABCA1) genetic variation on serum lipid level., Methods: Polymerase chain reaction-restricted fragments length polymorphism was used to determine PON1 A/B192 and ABCA1R219K genotype of 1019 subjects, including 680 patients with strokes and 339 healthy individuals as controls., Results: No significant association between A/B192 genotype and any of the lipid measurements was detected. The levels of HDL-C in the subjects with RR, RK and KK genotypes showed a significant upward tendency respectively (P < 0.05); the levels of their triglyceride (TG) tended downward respectively, but there were no significant differences between them. The relationship between R219K genotype and serum lipid level was modified by A/B192 genotype. The levels of HDL-C in the subjects with AA/RR genotype and BB/KK genotype [(1.41 +/- 0.40) mmol/L, (1.41 +/- 0.39) mmol/L] were significantly different from that in the subjects with BB/RR genotype [(1.28 +/- 0.36) mmol/L] (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The result exhibited an interaction of PON1 A/B192 and ABCA1 R219K on serum lipid level.

Objective: To determine the effects of long-term estrogen deficiency and replacement therapy of compound nylestriol tablet or low-dose 17 beta-estradiol on the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) in rat hippocampal formation., Methods: Fifty 7 month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: normal control, sham operated (SHAM), ovariectomized (OVX), OVX plus 17 beta-estradiol (OVX/ERT), and OVX plus compound nylestriol tablet (OVX/NL) groups. Immunohistochemistry of NGF was used to quantitatively determine the levels of expression of NGF using cell counting and imaging system in ovariectomized rat hippocampal formation., Results: The number and optical density of NGF-positive neurons of all hippocampal subregions and dentate gyrus in OVX rats were obviously lower than those of the normal control, SHAM, OVX/NL, and OVX/ERT rats., Conclusion: Long-term estrogen deficiency can lead to a decrease of NGF expression in hippocampal formation, while the replacement of low-dose 17 beta-estradiol or compound nylestriol tablet can equally preserve the expression of NGF to a normal level, showing a neurotrophic effect of estrogen.

Objective: To investigate whether ATP-binding cassette transporter 1 (ABCA1) R219K genetic variation is correlated with blood lipids., Method: Specimens of peripheral blood were collected from 692 patients with cerebral apoplexy, aged 62 +/- aged 12, and 352 sex- and age-matched persons without cardio-cerebro-vascular disease. Polymerase chain reaction-restricted fragments length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to determine the ABCA1 genotype: RR type (177 bp), RK type (177 bp, 107 bp, and 70 bp); and KK type (107 bp and 70 bp). The RR and KK type products were sequenced., Results: The level of HDL-C showed an upward trend in the sequence of RR, RK, and KK genotypes with a significant difference between RR genotype (1.3 mmol/L +/- 0.4 mmol/L) and KK genotype (1.4 mmol/L +/- 0.4 mmol/L), especially in the males. The levels of TG tended downward in the sequence of RR, RK, and KK genotypes, however, without a significant difference between any 2 genotypes. Linear regression analysis showed that the HDL-C level was positively correlated with age in the noncarriers of ABCA1R219K genetic variation (RR genotype), and the TC level was negatively correlated with age in the carriers (RK + KK genotype). In the cohort aged