Correlation between autonomic neurological dysfunction and levels of plasma norepineprine and acetylcholine in patients with cerebral hemorrhage at acute phase

Abstract:

Objective：To study the correlation between autonomic neurological dysfunction and levels of plasma norepineprine（NE） and acetylcholine（Ach） in patients with cerebral hemorrhage at acute phase. Methods：Totally 45 patients with initial cerebral hemor－rhage in different sites and 38 healthy man were enrolled. Fasting 3 ml venous blood was taken and put in the anticoagulant tube pre－cooled at the 2 nd and 10 th d after admission. Centrifuged at 4 ℃，the supernatant was set below -70 ℃. Plasma NE levels of cere－bral hemorrhage group and control group were detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and Ach levels by ELISA. Symptoms of autonomic neurological dysfunction were recorded. Autonomic symptom profile（ASP） was used to evaluate hemmorrhage group and control group. Degrees of neurologic impairment were evaluated by national institutes of health stroke scale（NIHSS）. Re－sults：Levels of plasma NE were significantly higher in cerebral hemorrhage group[（1.71±0.25） ng/ml and （1.53±0.26） ng/ml] than in control group[（0.54±0.13） ng/ml] at the 2 nd and 10 th d after admission（P=0.006，P=0.003），whereas，levels of plasma Ach [（76.88±12.38） ng/L and （71.75±12.73） ng/L] were significantly decreased in cerebral hemorrhage group than in control group [（105.61±14.27） ng/L] with statistical differences（P=0.005，P=0.008）. There was no significant difference in levels of plasma NE and Ach between at the 2nd d and the 10 th d（P=0.054，P =0.342）. ASP scores were significantly increased in hemorrhage group than in control group at the 2nd d and the 10 th d（P=0.002，P=0.01）. Statistical correlations between ASP scores and levels of plasma NE and Ach were existed（r=0.770，P=0.042；r=-0.868，P=0.011）. NIHSS scores were significantly lower at the10 th d than at the 2nd d（P=0.008，t=5.91）. Conclusions：Levels of plasma NE are significantly increased and plasma Ach are obviously decreased in patients with cerebral hemorrhage at acute phase. Changes in levels of plasma NE and Ach are related with autonomic neurological dysfunction.