[The therapeutic effect of small dose of estrogen on cerebral infarction].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the mechanism of protective effect of estrogen on cerebral damage in ischemic stroke by measuring the estrogen(2) (E(2)), blood lipid, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), nitric oxide (NO), and also assessment according to national institute of health stroke scale (NIHSS) score, in order to improve the treatment of cerebral infarction.


METHODS
Forty male patients, in whom cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of middle cerebral artery was confirmed by CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), were divided into two groups: E(2) therapy (20 cases) and routine therapy (20 cases). Routine therapy was the same in both groups, except 2 mg of E(2) was orally given (2 times a day) to the E(2) therapy group. E(2), testosterone (Ts), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), IL-1 beta, NO, and NIHSS score were measured in each patient at time points of 0, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days.


RESULTS
In E(2) group, HDL-C and E(2) were increased significantly, and TC and LDL-C were decreased significantly from 3 days on after treatment, and the changes were obviously more marked than that of routine therapy group (all P<0.05). The changes in TG and Ts were not obvious. NO, IL-1 beta were increased significantly (both P<0.05), and NIHSS score was decreased in routine group form 14 days on after treatment. NO and IL-beta in E(2) group were lower than those in routine therapy group from 3 days on, and the NIHSS score was significantly lower on 14 days and 21 days in E(2) group (both P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The protective effect of E(2) is obvious. It may be due to the results of modulation of blood fat, anti-inflammation and modulation of NO production by the action of E(2). Low dose and short time therapy of E(2) may be beneficial to the patient.
Wang
Ming-gang
MG
Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Affiliated with Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China. wmgonly@126.com
Li
Chun-sheng
CS
Gao
Chun-jin
CJ
Wang
Shuo
S
Du An
Chun-miao
CM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*
D004967:Estrogens; D008055:Lipids