Kim JH, et al. Korean J Neurotrauma. 2023 Jun;19:e25. https://doi.org/10.13004/kjnt.2023.19.e25

Background and Purpose: Patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) have oxidative stress. Oxidative stress contributes to the development and progression of perihematomal edema (PHE) in brain hemorrhage patients. We hypothesized that reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers might have a neuroprotective role in the acute period of patients with ICH. Methods: This prospective, multicenter, single-blind, randomized study was conducted between June 2017 and October 2019. Intracranial bleeding, including spontaneous ICH, secondary ICH due to vascular anomalies, venous thrombosis, neoplasms, or hemorrhagic infarction, were included in our study. These ROS scavengers were given for 14 days with a dose of N-acetylcysteine 2000 mg/d and selenium 1600 µg/d intravenously. Other patients received a placebo. The primary outcome was hemorrhage and PHE volume changes in 2-week follow-up computed tomography between ROS scavenger versus placebo groups. Results: In total, 448 patients were enrolled with 123 patients remaining after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the ROS scavenger (n=57) and placebo (n=66) groups. No significant differences in baseline hematoma and PHE volumes were observed but 2 weeks follow-up computed tomography showed significant differences in PHE volume (21.90±17.63 versus 30.66±32.35, P <0.01) and PHE ratio (1.19±0.73 versus 2.05±1.27, P <0.01). Among clinical factors, time to reach target Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (5.98 hours [95% CI, 4.82–7.241 versus 8.42 hours], [95% CI, 6.57–10.77], P <0.01) and the length of intensive care unit stays (6.46 days [95% CI, 2.38–10.55 versus 12.66 days], [95% CI, 8.47–16.85], P <0.01) were significantly shortened among patients who received ROS scavengers than among patients who did not receive ROS scavenger. Conclusions: ROS scavenger showed a significantly reduced PHE volume, time to reach target Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale, and shortened length of intensive care unit stay in patients with acute ICH. Early and high doses of ROS scavengers in a combination regimen may have played a key role in obtaining a favorable outcome in our study. Registration: URL: https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/en ; Unique identifier: KCT0004628.

Shim Y, et al. Korean J Neurotrauma. 2023 Jun;19(2):149-161. https://doi.org/10.13004/kjnt.2023.19.e32

The n-3 fatty acid (FA) has evoked considerable interest as a modifiable factor for maintenance of muscle health owing to its anti-inflammatory properties. To clarify this possibility, we investigated circulating n-3 FA level, a reliable biomarker of FA status in the body, in relation to sarcopenia in a cohort of Asian older adults. Blood samples were collected from 125 participants who underwent comprehensive assessment of muscle mass and function. Serum FA level was measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Sarcopenia was diagnosed using the cut-off points specified for the Asian population. After adjusting for sex, age, and body mass index, subjects with sarcopenia and those with low muscle strength had 36.5% and 32.4% lower serum n-3 levels (P = 0.040 and 0.030), respectively, than controls. The odds ratios per standard deviation increment in serum n-3 level for sarcopenia and low muscle strength were 0.29 and 0.40 (P = 0.015 and 0.028), respectively. A higher serum n-3 level was significantly associated with greater muscle strength (P = 0.038). These findings suggest a possible protective effect of n-3 FA on human muscle homeostasis. Further well-designed large-scale longitudinal studies are necessary to understand the definite role of circulating n-3 FA level in sarcopenia risk assessment.

Jeong H, et al. Korean J Neurotrauma. 2023 Jun;19(2):177-184. https://doi.org/10.13004/kjnt.2023.19.e31