Combination of butylphthalide with umbilical mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of delayed encephalopathy after carbon monoxide poisoning

Delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning: a case study

Delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning (DEACMP) is a relatively rare inflammatory-associated neurometabolic complication. In this article, we present a case report of a 50-year-old male patient with a history of carbon monoxide poisoning. This acute poisoning, although successfully controlled during a stay in the intensive care unit of a local hospital, later led to persistent neurological symptoms. The patient was then treated in the inpatient unit of the rehabilitation clinic, where cognitive deterioration began to develop 20 days after admission. Subsequent examination using EEG and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed severe encephalopathy later complicated by SARS-CoV-2 infection with fatal consequences due to bronchopneumonia. Because currently there are no approved guidelines for the management of DEACMP, we briefly discuss the existing challenges for future studies, especially the application of rational immunosuppressive therapy already in the acute treatment phase of CO poisoning, which could prevent the development of a severe form of DEACMP.

Evidence of clinical efficacy and pharmacological mechanism of N-butylphthalide in the treatment of delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning

Objective

Based on network meta-analysis (NMA) and network pharmacology approaches, we explored the clinical efficacy of different regimens, and clarified the pharmacological mechanisms of N-butylphthalide (NBP) in the treatment of delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning (DEACMP).

Methods

Firstly, NMA was conducted to obtain the ranking of the efficacy of different regimens for the treatment of DEACMP. Secondly, the drug with a relatively high efficacy ranking was selected and its mechanism of treatment for DEACMP was identified through a network pharmacology analysis. By the use of protein interaction and enrichment analysis, the pharmacological mechanism was predicted, and molecular docking was subsequently carried out to verify the reliability of the results.

Results

A total of 17 eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 1293 patients and 16 interventions were eventually included in our analysis from NMA. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) + NBP significantly increased mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Barthel index (BI) scores; NBP + dexamethasone (DXM) was the most effective treatment in improving the activity of daily living (ADL) scores; NBP significantly decreased national institutes of health stroke scale (NIHSS) scores; Xingzhi-Yinao granules (XZYN) had more advantages in improving Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scores, translational direct current stimulation (tDCS) had a significant effect in improving P300 latency and P300 amplitude and Kinnado + Citicoline had the most obvious effect in improving malondialdehyde (MDA). Meanwhile, by network pharmacology analysis, 33 interaction genes between NBP and DEACMP were obtained, and 4 of them were identified as possible key targets in the process of MCODE analysis. 516 Gene ontology (GO) entries and 116 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) entries were achieved by enrichment analysis. Molecular docking showed that NBP had good docking activity with the key targets.

Conclusion

The NMA screened for regimens with better efficacy for each outcome indicator in order to provide a reference for clinical treatment. NBP can stably bind ALB, ESR1, EGFR, HSP90AA1, and other targets, and may play a role in neuroprotection for patients with DEACMP by modulating Lipid and atherosclerosis, IL-17 signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Clinical and Imaging Prognosis in Patients with Delayed Encephalopathy after Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Objective

To study the clinical manifestations, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, and prognosis of delayed encephalopathy after carbon monoxide poisoning (DEACMP).

Methods

The medical records of 20 patients with DEACMP were retrospectively reviewed. All the patients received hyperbaric oxygen treatment and other treatments as necessary.

Results

The patients had diverse clinical manifestations, including memory deficits, personality changes, cognitive or executive function deficits, mood disorders, Parkinsonism, dystonia or other motor impairments, and akinetic mutism. MRI revealed lesions in the bilateral cerebral white matter and/or basal ganglia. Except for the pathologically confirmed DEACMP, epileptic seizure, hemiplegia, and vegetative state, the remaining symptoms had been improved, especially the cognitive impairment, which had been decreased from 95% to 25% and psychiatric symptoms also decreased from 95% to 55% at the 6-month follow-up.

Conclusions

The prognosis of patients with DEACMP was poor, and they had a relatively severe disability. The early use of hyperbaric oxygen is of great significance to improve clinical efficacy and get a better prognosis.

Co-administration of TiO2-nanowired dl-3-n-butylphthalide (dl-NBP) and mesenchymal stem cells enhanced neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease exacerbated by concussive head injury

dl-3-n-butylphthalide (dl-NBP) is a powerful antioxidant compound with profound neuroprotective effects in stroke and brain injury. However, its role in Parkinson's disease (PD) is not well known. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the key factors in precipitating PD like symptoms in civilians and particularly in military personnel. Thus, it would be interesting to explore the possible neuroprotective effects of NBP in PD following concussive head injury (CHI). In this chapter effect of nanowired delivery of NBP together with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in PD with CHI is discussed based on our own investigations. It appears that CHI exacerbates PD pathophysiology in terms of p-tau, α-synuclein (ASNC) levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the loss of TH immunoreactivity in substantia niagra pars compacta (SNpc) and striatum (STr) along with dopamine (DA), dopamine decarboxylase (DOPAC). And homovanillic acid (HVA). Our observations are the first to show that a combination of NBP with MSCs when delivered using nanowired technology induces superior neuroprotective effects in PD brain pathology exacerbated by CHI, not reported earlier.

From Seeds of Apium graveolens Linn. to a Cerebral Ischemia Medicine: The Long Journey of 3-n-Butylphthalide

3-n-Butylphthalide (NBP) as well as its derivatives and analogues (NBPs), in racemic or enantiomerically pure forms, possess potent and diverse pharmacological properties and have shown a great potential therapeutic interest for many human conditions, especially for cerebral ischemia. This Perspective outlines the synthesis and therapeutic applications of NBPs.

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells and Exosomes: Progress and Challenges

Due to their robust immunomodulatory capabilities, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have been used as a cellular therapy for a number of human diseases. Part of the mechanism of action of MSCs is the production of extracellular vesicles (EVs) that contain proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids that transmit signals to recipient cells that change their biologic behavior. This review briefly summarizes the development of MSCs as a treatment for human diseases as well as describes our present understanding of exosomes; how they exert their effects on target cells, and how they are differentiated from other EVs. The current treatment paradigm for acute radiation syndrome (ARS) is discussed, and how MSCs and MSC derived exosomes are emerging as treatment options for treating patients after radiation exposure. Other conditions such as graft-versus-host disease and cardiovascular disease/stroke are discussed as examples to highlight the immunomodulatory and regenerative capacity of MSC-exosomes. Finally, a consideration is given to how these cell-based therapies could possibly be deployed in the event of a catastrophic radiation exposure event.

The Efficacy of N-Butylphthalide and Dexamethasone Combined with Hyperbaric Oxygen on Delayed Encephalopathy After Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Background

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a common health problem among people in many countries, primarily because of its severe clinical effects and high toxicological morbidity and mortality. Acute brain injury and delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning (DEACMP) are the most common neurological complications. This study was performed to assess the efficacy of N-butylphthalide (NBP) and dexamethasone (DXM) combined with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) in patients with DEACMP.

Patients and Methods

A total of 171 patients with DEACMP were recruited and assigned to the combined therapy group (receiving NBP and DXM 5 mg/day plus HBO therapy) or the control group (HBO therapy as monotherapy). Conventional treatments were provided for all patients. The cognition and movement changes in patients were evaluated by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scale and the Barthel index of activities of daily living (ADL) before and after the treatment at 1 month, 3 months, and 1 year, respectively.

Results

At 1 month, 3 months, and 1 year after the treatment, the MMSE, MoCA and ADL scores were all significantly higher in the combined therapy group than those in the control group. There were no significant alterations in blood glucose, blood lipids, or liver and kidney function during the whole treatment session. Some patients experienced loss of appetite, mild headache and minor skin irritations. However, these patients recovered by themselves and needed no additional medications or special treatment.

Conclusion

These results indicated that NBP and DXM combined with HBO for the treatment of DEACMP can significantly improve the cognitive and motor functions of patients and is very safe.

Wallerian degeneration of bilateral cerebral peduncles after acute carbon monoxide poisoning

Background

Cases of Wallerian degeneration of bilateral cerebral peduncles after acute carbon monoxide poisoning have not yet been reported. To date, most of the delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning (DEACMP) lesions captured in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been located in the subcortical white matter and basal ganglia. Here we report two cases of DEACMP with abnormalities in the bilateral cerebral peduncles. The etiology of abnormalities, which were strictly confined to the bilateral cerebral peduncles, was Wallerian degeneration secondary to upstream nerve axonal damage, making this the first report on such bilateral cerebral peduncle abnormalities after DEACMP.

Case presentation

In this report, we present two cases of DEACMP with abnormal signals in the bilateral cerebral peduncles captured during brain MRIs. Case 1 was of a 68-year-old man who presented with paroxysmal disturbance of the consciousness, left limb weakness for 16 days, and lagging responses for 2 days. Case 2 was of a 55-year-old man who was unconscious for 6 h. In addition to the above mentioned characteristics on the brain MRIs, the electroencephalography of case 1 indicated that his forehead scans had a mixture of wide sharp, sharp, and three-phase waves. Brain diffusion tensor imaging of case 2 further proved that the bilateral cerebral anomalies represented Wallerian degeneration secondary to upstream axonal damage. After the definitive diagnosis, the patients returned to the local hospital for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Conclusions

Wallerian degeneration of the bilateral cerebral peduncles after acute carbon monoxide poisoning has never been reported before. The abnormal signals in the bilateral cerebral peduncles captured during brain MRIs indicated Wallerian degeneration secondary to upstream axonal damage; thus, these two cases may further our understanding of DEACMP imaging.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Contusion: A Comparative Study on Small and Large Animal Models

Here, we provide a first comparative study of the therapeutic potential of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow (BM-MSCs), adipose tissue (AD-MSCs), and dental pulp (DP-MSCs) embedded in fibrin matrix, in small (rat) and large (pig) spinal cord injury (SCI) models during subacute period of spinal contusion. Results of behavioral, electrophysiological, and histological assessment as well as immunohistochemistry and real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis suggest that application of AD-MSCs combined with a fibrin matrix within the subacute period in rats (2 weeks after injury), provides significantly higher post-traumatic regeneration compared to a similar application of BM-MSCs or DP-MSCs. Within the rat model, use of AD-MSCs resulted in a marked change in: (1) restoration of locomotor activity and conduction along spinal axons; (2) reduction of post-traumatic cavitation and enhancing tissue retention; and (3) modulation of microglial and astroglial activation. The effect of an autologous application of AD-MSCs during the subacute period after spinal contusion was also confirmed in pigs (6 weeks after injury). Effects included: (1) partial restoration of the somatosensory spinal pathways; (2) reduction of post-traumatic cavitation and enhancing tissue retention; and (3) modulation of astroglial activation in dorsal root entry zone. However, pigs only partially replicated the findings observed in rats. Together, these results indicate application of AD-MSCs embedded in fibrin matrix at the site of SCI during the subacute period can facilitate regeneration of nervous tissue in rats and pigs. These results, for the first time, provide robust support for the use of AD-MSC to treat subacute SCI.

Management of delayed encephalopathy after CO poisoning: An evidence-based narrative review

BACKGROUND

Approximately 10% to 30% patients develop delayed encephalopathy after acute CO poisoning (DEACMP). No specific treatment is available and poor prognosis is a characteristic of this disease. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of all therapies that have been tried in randomized controlled trial (RCT) for DEACMP.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic search of the Cochrane, Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science databases.

RESULTS

Overall, 4 RCTs were identified in our study. Both hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation were effective in DEACMP, and MSC seemed to be superior to HBO. The addition of dexamethasone, N-butylphthalide, or XingZhi-YiNao granules into HBO, or butylphthalide into MSC could achieve better neurological recovery in DEACMP patients but did not significantly increase the incidence of adverse events.

CONCLUSION

Several therapies have shown positive results in treating DEACMP and need to be proven by further studies.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alleviate Acute Lung Injury and Inflammatory Responses Induced by Paraquat Poisoning

Background

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects that have prompted further research into their potential applications in treating paraquat (PQ) poisoning cases in emergency rooms. We assessed the protective effects, underlying mechanisms, and secondary inflammatory responses of MSCs on PQ-induced acute lung injury.

Material/Methods

Sprague-Dawley rats were injected intraperitoneally with PQ (20 μg per gram of body weight). MSCs were injected through the caudal vein 1 h after PQ treatment. The severity of lung injury and oxidative stress and levels of inflammatory mediators were examined with and without MSC grafting. Expression levels of TLR4, NF-κB, p65, Nrf2, HO-1, and activated caspase-3 protein were determined by Western blotting.

Results

Administration of MSCs significantly decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 and polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) count in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of rats with PQ-induced ALI. In addition, MSC also effectively reduced the wet-to-dry lung weight ratio, lung injury score, and the levels of MDA and 8-OHdG. Conversely, MSC increased SOD and GSH-PX activity in the lung tissue. Moreover, MSC significantly upregulated HO-1, Nrf-2 protein expression in the lung tissue. In contrast, the levels of TLR4, NF-κB p65 and activated caspase-3 protein were decreased in MSC-treated rats (P<0.05).

Conclusions

Treatment with MSCs overexpressed Nrf2 gene and activated downstream antioxidant HO-1, leading to inhibit oxidative stress, cell apoptosis and inflammatory response in lung tissue, thereby significantly improving PQ-induced acute lung injury in rats.

Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation as an effective treatment strategy for ischemic stroke in Asia: a meta-analysis of controlled trials

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy in patients with ischemic stroke (IS).

Materials and methods

Clinical trials involved in this research were searched from PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, Wanfang and CNKI database. Therapeutic effects of MSC therapy were assessed according to National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Barthel index (BI), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and its safety was evaluated based on adverse events.

Results

This research covered 23 trials including 1,279 IS patients. Based on our analysis, the overall condition of IS patients significantly improved after MSC therapy, indicated by decreased NIHSS and increased BI, FMA and FIM scores. Our analysis also showed that the treatment effects in the MSC transplantation group were superior to those in the control group (routine medication therapy) with statistical significance for NIHSS (1 month after therapy: odds ratio [OR]=-1.92, CI=-3.49 to -0.34, P=0.02; 3 months after therapy: OR=-2.65, CI=-3.40 to -1.90, P<0.00001), BI (1 month after therapy: OR=0.99, CI=0.19-1.79, P=0.02; 6 months after therapy: OR=10.10, CI=3.07-17.14, P=0.005), FMA (3 months after therapy: OR=10.20, CI=3.70-16.70, P=0.002; 6 months after therapy: OR=10.82, CI=6.45-15.18, P<0.00001) and FIM (1 month after therapy: OR=15.61, CI=-0.02 to 31.24, P=0.05; 6 months after therapy: OR=16.56, CI=9.06-24.06, P<0.0001). No serious adverse events were reported during MSC therapy.

Conclusion

MSC therapy is safe and effective in treating IS by improving the neurological deficits, motor function and daily life quality of patients.

Efficacy of Combined XingZhi-YiNao Granules and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Cognition and Motor Dysfunction in Patients with Delayed Encephalopathy after Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Purpose

To investigate the efficacy of XingZhi-YiNao (XZYN) granules and hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) for cognition and motor dysfunction in patients with delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning (DEACMP).

Methods

Eighty-nine patients with DEACMP were randomly divided into control group (n = 19), HBO group (n = 32), and XZYN group (n = 38). All patients received conventional treatment. HBO group received HBO therapy once daily. XZYN group received extra XZYN granules plus HBO treatment. The related indexes including activity of daily living (ADL) scale, Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scale, and mini mental state examination (MMSE) scale were measured. Cerebral white matter injury, age related white matter changes (ARWMC) scale, and the amplitude and latency of P300 were assessed.

Results

Compared with control group, the neurological function scores of ADL, MoCA, and MMSE in HBO and XZYN groups were significantly improved, the impairment degree of brain white matter and cognition function were obviously alleviated, the latencies of P300 were significantly shortened, and the amplitudes of P300 were evidently increased (P < 0.05). Treatment efficacy of XZYN group was superior to that of HBO group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Combined XZYN granules and HBO can significantly improve cognition and motor functions in patients with DEACMP.

A novel effective chemical hemin for the treatment of acute carbon monoxide poisoning in mice

There is no effective drug for the therapy of acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the potential preventive and therapeutic effects of hemin on an animal model of acute CO poisoning and to provide a potential therapeutic candidate drug. A total of 80 Kunming mice were randomly divided into four groups, namely the air control, acute CO poisoning, hemin-treatment + CO and hemin-pretreatment + CO groups (n=20 each). Furthermore, the mortality rate of mice, blood carboxyhaemoglobin (HbCO) concentration and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration were measured, and pathological changes of the hippocampal area were determined using histochemical staining. The mice with acute CO poisoning had a 50% mortality rate at 1 h, with an increase in blood HbCO, serum MDA levels and pathological impairments of the hippocampus. Furthermore, the mortality rate, blood HbCO and serum MDA levels of mice with pretreatment and treatment of hemin were decreased. Additionally, the pathological changes of the hippocampal area were improved in the hemin-treatment and hemin-pretreatment groups compared with the mice treated with CO. These results suggest that hemin is a novel effective chemical for the prevention and treatment of acute CO poisoning in mice. Therefore, the present study provides a novel method and experimental basis for the application of hemin in treating patients with acute CO poisoning.