BACKGROUND Protein S100β (PS100 β) and neuron specific enolase (NSE) have been described as biological markers of neuronal damage. The purpose of our study was to assess the prognosis thresholds of these biomarkers in subarachnoid aneurysmal hemorrhage (SAH). METHODS Forty eight patients admitted following SAH were treated by endovascular coiling. Initial neurologic severity was assessed usin...

AIM Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning can cause permanent damage in tissues that are sensitive to hypoxia. We explored the feasibility and efficacy of using a hyperoxygenated solution (HOS) to treat severe acute CO poisoning in an animal model. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to CO poisoning. The HOS was administered into the femoral vein of these rats through a catheter (10 ml/k...

BACKGROUND Pax6, a highly conserved multifunctional transcription factor, has been critical for neurogenesis and neuronal plasticity. It is presumed that if level of Pax6 approaches either low or null, critical genes responsible for maintaining functional status of neurons or glia would be modulated. PURPOSE Therefore, it has been intended to explore possibility of either direct or indirect i...

BACKGROUND Postoperative neurocognitive dysfunction induced by anesthetics, particularly in elderly patients with impaired oxygenation, is a common complication of surgery and is eliciting increased interest in clinical practice. To investigate the effects of anesthetics on neurocognition, we compared the effects of propofol versus sevoflurane on cerebral oxygenation and cognitive outcome in pa...

BACKGROUND Besides their neuronal support functions, astrocytes are active partners in neuronal information processing. The typical territorial structure of astrocytes (the volume of neuropil occupied by a single astrocyte) is pivotal for many aspects of glia-neuron interactions. METHODS Individual astrocyte territorial volumes are measured by Golgi impregnation, and astrocyte densities are d...