Abstract:Aim To investigate the effect of Songling Xuemaikang (SX) on vascular endothelial function and its protective mechanism in rats with cerebral atherosclerosis (CAS). Methods SD rats were divided into 3 groups:control group, CAS group and the SX group. CAS model of hypertension and hyperlipidemia was established in the CAS group and the SX group. Rats in the SX group were treated by Songling Xuemaikang. The blood pressure and blood lipid indexes of each group of rats were detected and compared. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to detect the pathological changes of basilar artery and brain tissue. Serum levels of nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression levels of Notch1 and Hes1 protein were detected by Western blot. Results The blood pressure and blood lipid levels of the CAS group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P＜0.05). The blood pressure and blood lipid levels of the SX group were significantly lower than those of the CAS group (P＜0.05). The basilar artery morphology of the control group was normal. In the CAS group, the intima of the rat was damaged, the lipid was deposited in the intima of the artery, and the smooth muscle cells in the middle layer of the artery were disordered. The pathological morphology of the SX group was between the control group and the CAS group. The NO of the CAS group was significantly lower than that of the control group and the ET-1 was significantly higher than the control group (P＜0.05). The NO of the SX group was significantly higher than that of the CAS group and the ET-1 was significantly lower than the CAS group (P＜0.05). In the control group, the brain tissue structure was completed, the cells were normal, the nucleolus was obvious, and the cytoplasm was abundant. In the CAS group, the brain cells of the rats were arranged one time, the nucleoli were not obvious, and the cytoplasm showed empty halos. The morphology and arrangement of the SX group were basically normal, and the nucleolus and cytoplasm were clear. The levels of Notch1 and Hes1 in the CAS group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P＜0.05). The levels of Notch1 and Hes1 in the SX group were significantly lower than those in the CAS group (P＜0.05).Conclusion Songling Xuemaikang has the effect of protecting vascular endothelial cells caused by hypertension and hyperlipidemia and antagonizing brain damage, which may be related to the inhibition of Notch pathway.

Abstract:Aim To detect the serum levels of hepatocyte growth factor （HGF） and transforming growth factor beta one （TGF-β1） in cerebral atherosclerosis（CAs） patients, explore the relationship between CAs degree and the extent of HGF, TGF-β1, hope to provide the basis for the intervention of exogenous HGF. Methods 71 CAs patients and 33 normal control ones were enrolled, using the double antibody sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） to detect the serum level of HGF, TGF-β1. Results The patients’ serum levels of HGF in CAs group were significantly lower than the control group （P<0.05）. Levels of serum HGF was different compared with each other in CAs groups （P<0.05）, HGF levels in the CAs groups gradually increased with the CAs degree. The patients’ serum levels of TGF-β1 in CAs group were significantly higher than the control group （P<0.001）. Levels of serum TGF-β1 was different compared with each other in CAs groups （P<0.005）, TGF-β1 levels in the CAs groups gradually decreased with the CAs degree. Conclusion There has been a dynamically reciprocal balanced relationship between HGF and TGF-β1, considering viability existing in the administration of exogenous HGF treatment for ischemic cerebrovascular disease caused by CAs in the future.

Abstract:Aim To observe the clinical effect of atorvastatin calcium for the treatment of cerebral atterosclerosis. Methods 226 patients with cerebral arteriosclerosis were chosen as the retrospective analytic object. All cases were divided into the observation group （n121）and the control group （n105） according to treatment regimen. The control group received conventional treatment, and the observation group received additional atorvastatin calcium treatment lipid level, hemorheology, carotid intima-media thickness, plaque area, and the adverse reaction of two groups were comparatively analyzed before and after treatment, then comprehensive evaluation of the clinical effect of different treatment methods was made. Results Lipid level, hemorheology, carotid intima-media thickness of the two groups after treatment had improved,and plaque area decreased, but the control group improved significantly worse than the observation group, and the difference between two groups was significant （P<0.05）； the observation group had a total effective rate of 90.1%, better than the control group 73.3%, which had significant difference （P<0.05）. The adverse reaction rate of control group was 7.6%, observation group was 10.7%, and there was no significant difference between the two groups （P>0.05）. Conclusion On the basis of conventional therapy taking atorvastatin calcium for cerebral atherosclerosis treatment has an obvious effect, and no serious adverse reactions.

Abstract:Aim To explore the role of insulin resistance (IR)in atherosclerotic cerebral infarction (ACI)and lacunar cerebral infarction (LCI). Methods The serum concentrations of insulin after overnight fast and glucose load were determined by the use of radioimmunoassay and the serum concentrations of glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], apolipoprotein A and B (ApoA, ApoB) after overnight fast and the serum concentrations of glucose after glucose load were measured by biochemical methods in 48 patients with ACI and 38 patients with LCI and 40 healthy control subjects. The plasmatic activities of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA)and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were assayed by chromgenic substrate methods and levels of blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) was tested by routine ways in all subjects. Insulin sensitivity index (ISI) was estimated by the negative natural logarithm of the verse of fasting serum glucose and insulin product. Results The serum concentrations of glucose and insulin after overnight fast and glucose load (6.6±3.2 mmol/L and 6.3±2.3 mmol/L, 9.2±2.3 mmol/L and 9.2±2.5 mmol/L, 13.6±9.1 mIU/L and 13.4±8.0 mIU/L, 99.0±54.3 mIU/L and 98.4±53.9 mIU/L) were significantly higher in the two groups of cerebral infarction compared with the healthy control subjects (p<0.01), while the ISI (-4.20±0.24 and -4.19±1.02) in the two groups of cerebral infarction was significantly lower compared with the healthy control subjects (p<0.01). The increased levels of SBP(150.2±18.2 mmHg and 152.4±13.6 mmHg), DBP(96.2±12.7 mmHg and 97.4±18.6 mmHg), TG(1.71±0.68 mmol/L and 1.68±0.99 mmol/L), LDL(3.06±0.29 mmol/L and 3.01±0.40 mmol/L), TC(5.11±0.35 mmol/L and 4.98±0.34 mmol/L), Lp(a) (238±202 mg/L and 234±217 mg/L), PAI-1(880±350 AU/L and 870±150 AU/L) and BMI (26.5±1.1 kg/m2 and 26.3±2.0 kg/m2)were significantly observed in the two groups of cerebral infarction compared with the healthy control subjects (p<0.01), whereas decreased levels of HDL (1.24±0.48 mmol/L, 1.23±0.18 mmol/L)and tPA (0.28±0.16 kIU/L, 0.25±0.18 kIU/L) were detected significantly in the two groups of cerebral infarction compared with the healthy control subjects (p<0.01). The difference of all above parameters between two patients` groups had no statistical significance(p<0.05). In the patients with ACI and the patients with LCI, the ISI was negatively associated with the increased level of SBP, DBP, TG, ApoB, PAI-1 and BMI, but the ISI was positively associated with the decreased levels of HDL and ApoA, whereas the ISI was not associated with the levels of TC, LDL, Lp (a) and tPA. Conclusions IR which is the important risk factor in ACI and LCI plays an important part in both the atherosclerosis of large and medium cerebral arteries and the arteriosclerosis of small cerebral arteries.

Abstract:Aim To investigate effect of cigarette smoking onmorphology and expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), ICAM-1 mRNA in vascular endothelial cells of rats brains and to further explore influence of cigarette smoking on atherogenesis. Methods 75 male Wistar rats were randomly subgrouped into long-term massive, short-term massive, long-term trifle, anti-smoking and normal control group. Immunohistochemistry technique, in situ hybridization technique and pathologic image analyzing system were used to determine the expression of ICAM-1, ICAM-1 mRNA in rats cerebral vascular endothelial cells. Results In contrast to normal control group, expression of ICAM-1, ICAM-1 mRNA in rats cerebral vascular endothelial cells increased in smoking (103.7±3.9 vs 99.7±7.1 vs 92.6±5.2 vs 94.8±5.1 vs 84.2±4.7 for the mean gray value of ICAM-1mRNA staining in normal control, anti-smoking, short-term massive, long-term trifle, long-term massive group, repectively; p<0.05), and ICAM-1, ICAM-1 mRNA were relevant to the duration and dose of smoking (p<0.05). Expression of ICAM-1 and ICAM-1 mRNA decreased after anti-smoking, and there was no significant difference compared with normal control group (p>0.05). The structure of endothelial cells changed greatly in smoking, and partly recovered after anti-smoking. Conclusion The upregulation of expression of ICAM-1 and ICAM-1 mRNA might be one of the important molecular mechanisms during the process of atherosclerosis in cigarette smoking rats.