Thymosin β4 for the treatment of acute stroke: neurorestorative or neuroprotective?

Establishment of emergency-nursing pathway of interventional thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke

OBJECTIVE

To establish the emergency-nursing pathway of interventional thrombectomy on acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

METHODS

113 AIS patients who received interventional thrombotomy in conventional emergency model from Aug. 2019 to Feb. 2020 were included as control-group, and 127 patients, who underwent interventional thrombotomy by pathway-based emergency nursing program from Mar. 2020 to Sep. 2020, were classified into observation-group. The time points from admission to recanalization of the two groups, the recanalization rate, and the changes in the neurological impairment scale (NIHSS) scores of the two groups in pre- and post-treatment were compared; Meanwhile, the therapeutic efficacy rate between the two groups was evaluated and compared by modified Rankin Score (mRS) 90 days after discharge.

RESULTS

The average time from hospital arrival to femoral artery puncture, the average time of successful femoral artery puncture, and the average time from admission to recanalization in observation-group were remarkably shorter than that of control-group (P<0.05). The recanalization rate of endovascular therapy in observation-group was 92.13%, which was higher than that in control-group (80.53%, P<0.05); The NIHSS score of observation-group after treatment was obviously lower than that of control-group (P<0.05); The curative rate in observation-group was 90.55%, which was higher than that of 79.65% in control group (P<0.05); The satisfaction of observation-group patients with nursing care was 90.55%, which was higher than that of 73.45% in control-group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Establishment of emergency-nursing pathway can reduce the time-consuming from admission to vascular recanalization for AIS patients undergoing interventional thrombectomy, increase the recanalization rate, improve the patients' neurological function, and ameliorate the curative rate and nursing satisfaction.

Peptide Profile of Zebrafish Brain in a 6-OHDA-Induced Parkinson Model

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder mainly attributed to the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, which leads to uncontrolled voluntary movements causing tremors, postural instability, joint stiffness, and speech and locomotion difficulties, among other symptoms. Previous studies have shown the participation of specific peptides in neurodegenerative diseases. In this context, the present work analyzed changes in the peptide profile in zebrafish brain induced to parkinsonian conditions with 6-hydroxydopamine, using isotopic labeling techniques plus mass spectrometry. These analyses allowed the relative quantitation and identification of 118 peptides. Of these, nine peptides showed significant changes, one peptide was increased and eight decreased. The most altered sequences were fragment of cytosolic and extracellular proteins related to lipid metabolism and dynamic cytoskeleton. These results open new perspectives of study about the function of peptides in PD.

N-Acetyl-Seryl-Aspartyl-Lysyl-Proline Augments Thrombolysis of tPA (Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator) in Aged Rats After Stroke

Background and Purpose- Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide, mainly affecting the elderly. However, preclinical studies in aged ischemic animals are limited. N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline (AcSDKP) is a naturally occurring tetrapeptide with vascular-protective properties. The present study investigated the effect of AcSDKP on tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator)-induced thrombolysis in aged rats after ischemic stroke. Methods- Aged male rats (18 months) were subjected to embolic middle cerebral artery occlusion. Rats subjected to 4 hours of middle cerebral artery occlusion were randomized into the following groups: (1) AcSDKP; (2) tPA; (3) AcSDKP in combination with tPA; and (4) saline. Neurological deficits, cerebral microvascular patency and integrity, and infarction were examined at 1 day and 7 days after middle cerebral artery occlusion. In vitro experiments were performed to examine the effect of AcSDKP on aged cerebral endothelial cell permeability. Results- Compared with saline, AcSDKP, or tPA as monotherapy did not have any therapeutic effects, whereas AcSDKP in combination with tPA significantly reduced cerebral tissue infarction and improved neurological outcome without increasing cerebral hemorrhage. Concurrently, the combination treatment significantly augmented microvascular perfusion and reduced thrombosis and blood-brain barrier leakage. In vitro, compared with cerebral endothelial cells from ischemic adult rats, the endothelial cells from ischemic aged rats exhibited significantly increased leakage. AcSDKP suppressed tPA-induced aged endothelial cell leakage and reduced expression of ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule 1) and NF (nuclear factor)-κB. Conclusions- The present study provides evidence for the therapeutic efficacy of AcSDKP in combination tPA for the treatment of embolic stroke in aged rats at 4 hours after stroke onset. AcSDKP likely acts on cerebral endothelial cells to enhance the benefits of tPA by increasing tissue perfusion and augmenting the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. Visual Overview- An online visual overview is available for this article.