[Effect of longshoudan on serum tumor necrosis factor and circulating endothelial cell levels in acute cerebral infarction patients].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of Longshoudan (LSD) on the serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and circulating endothelial cell (CEC) levels in acute cerebral infarction (ACI) patients, and the mechanism of LSD in treating ACI.


METHODS
The levels of serum TNF-alpha and CEC in 40 ACI patients before and after LSD oral administration were measured by radioimmunoassay, and compared with 20 routinely treated ACI patients, and 20 healthy subjects as control group.


RESULTS
(1) The levels of serum TNF-alpha and CEC in ACI patients were significantly higher than those in the control group, there was significant correlation between the increased extent and infarction size, the larger the size, the higher the levels of serum TNF-alpha and CEC; (2) In ACI patients, the serum TNF-alpha level was positively correlated with CEC level (r = 0.68, P < 0.01); (3) The serum TNF-alpha and CEC level of all ACI patients after 4 weeks were reduced, and LSD treated group was significantly lower than that of routinely treated group (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
LSD could protect cerebrovascular endothelial cells and ischemic neurons through lowering the increased levels of serum TNF-alpha and CEC in ACI patients, and alleviate the damage of cerebrovascular endothelial cells.
Wu
S
S
First People's Hospital, Jining Municipal, Shandong (272111).
Liu
S
S
Zhao
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002452:Cell Count; D002469:Cell Separation; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha