title: [Effects of puerarin on the vascular active factor related to cerebral vasospasm after aneurysm subarachnoid hemorrhage].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects and possible mechanisms of puerarin on the vascular active factors correlated to cerebral vasospasm (CVS) after aneurysm subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-four patients with aSAH were randomly assigned to the puerarin group (30 cases) and the control group (24 cases) by lot. On the basis of routine treatment, the patients in the puerarin group were intravenously dripped with 0.5 g puerarin by adding in 250 mL glucose injection once daily. The injection was given starting from the 3rd day of the disease course, for 14 successive days. The plasma levels of nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1), thromboxane B, (TXB2), 6-Keto-prostaglandin F1alpha (6-K-PGF1alpha) were compared between the two groups pre- and post-therapy. The incidence of cerebral vasospasm (CVS) was observed using transcranial Doppler (TCD). The Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) were compared at discharge between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control group, the plasma levels of NO, ET-1, and 6-K-PGF1alpha increased in the puerarin group (P < 0. 05), the TXB2 level decreased (P < 0.05), the incidence of CVS decreased (P < 0.05), the mean MCA velocity increased (P < 0.05), and the GOS at discharge increased (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Puerarin is an effective agent for the prophylaxis and treatment of the CVS in patients after aSAH. Moreover, it can improve the prognosis. The mechanism might be correlated with improving the levels of the vascular active factors, i.e., increasing the plasma levels of NO and PGl2, decreasing TXA, in plasma, increasing the cerebral blood flow, and improving cerebral perfusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing (210002).
authors.forename: Jia-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jue-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Yu-Jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D015121:6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D011379:Prognosis; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013929:Thromboxane B2 / Q000097:blood; D020301:Vasospasm, Intracranial / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D007529:Isoflavones; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D013929:Thromboxane B2; D015121:6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha; C033607:puerarin