There is a strong association between lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) levels and atherosclerosis-related diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Lp-PLA2 in the ischemic stroke and further offer clinical evidence that measuring Lp-PLA2 helps predict the risk of stroke occurrence and recurrence. A total of 328 hospitalized patients were recruited, including 179 cases of acute cerebral infarction (ACI) and 149 non-ACI controls. The serum level of Lp-PLA2 in ACI was significantly higher than non-ACI. The serum level of Lp-PLA2 in the recurrence of ACI was significantly higher than the nonrecurrence. The serum levels of Lp-PLA2 in large-artery atherosclerosis subtype were the highest among the subtypes of the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment and non-ACI controls. The level of Lp-PLA2 in large-artery atherosclerosis and the cardioembolism group was statistically significantly higher than that of the control cases. There was no statistically significant difference between the small-vessel occlusion group and the control cases. The present study confirmed that the elevated Lp-PLA2 level can be a risk factor for ischemic stroke in the Chinese population. The serum level of Lp-PLA2 may be a predictive factor for the recurrence of ACI.

BackgroundWorldwide, epilepsy is an important chronic neurological condition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of corilagin, an ellagitannin extracted from medicinal plants, on the frequency of seizures and cognitive function in a rat model of chronic epilepsy.Material/MethodsChronic epilepsy was induced in male Wistar rats by intraperitoneal (IP) injection of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) for 36 days. Corilagin, 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg, was injected IP into treated rats, 24 days before the start of PTZ treatment, until the end of the protocol. The effects of corilagin were assessed by the pattern of epileptic seizures; cognitive function was assessed using the Morris water maze (MWM) navigation test. The mechanism of action of corilagin was investigated by measuring cytokine levels and oxidative stress parameters, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and carbonic anhydrase inhibitory (CAI) activity. Histological analysis of fixed brain tissue sections included cresyl violet acetate staining (Nissl staining) for Nissl substance in the neuronal cytoplasm.ResultsThe corilagin-treated rats, compared with the control group, showed a significantly lower rate of epileptic events, improved cognitive function, reduced level of cytokines, reduced ROS production reduced CAI activity in the brain tissues (P<0.01). Histology of the rat brain tissues study showed that corilagin treatment maintained the neuronal cellular structure and number of surviving cells compared with the control group of rats.ConclusionsThe findings of this study showed that corilagin reduced the frequency of seizures and improved the cognitive function in a rat model of chronic epilepsy.