Adaptogenic effects of mexidol in chronic cerebral ischemia

Author:
E.A. ANTIPENKO.

Summary:
The data on the effect of the succinate-containing antioxidant mexidol on the adaptation abilities of patients with chronic brain ischemia are presented. We studied 98 patients with discirculatory encephalopathy of I, II and III stages. A set of indices for psychoemotional status, functional state of the brain, autonomic status, nonspecific stability to hypoxia, adaptive reactions of the blood system and status of antioxidant defense have been used to evaluate adaptive abilities of the body. It has been shown that the introduction of the antioxidant in the treatment set strengthens the effects of basic treatment by increasing adaptive reserves of the body in stages I and II of disease that is related with the realization of reactions of urgent adaptation. The introduction of mexidol in the treatment set increases the frequency of favorable outcomes after one year of follow-up.

Keywords: brain ischemia, discirculatory encephalopathy, adaptation, adaptogenic effect, stress.

The assessment of the clinical efficacy, vasoactive and metabolic effects of mexidol in elderly patients with discirculatory encephalopathy

Author:
YU.V. ABRAMENKO.

Summary:
Forty patients, aged from 55 to 74 years, with chronic cerebral ischemia — discirculatory encephalopathy, stages I—II, against the background of arterial hypertension and atherosclerosis were studied. Patients were randomized into 2 equal groups. Patients of the main group received the antioxidant mexidol intramuscular in dose 100 mg during the first 10 days and then perorally in dose 125 mg three times a day during 20 days in the combination with the regular treatment (diroton in dose 5-20 mg daily, cardiomagnyl in dose 75 mg daily). Patients of the control group received regular treatment during 30 days. The efficacy was evaluated at baseline, on the 10th and 30th days after the treatment using clinical scales (the number of complaints, neurological deficit, cognitive and emotional disorders), parameters of cerebral hemodynamics measured with transcranial duplex scanning, laboratory indices of the state of oxidant and antioxidant systems (the content of malonic dialdehyde and superoxide dismutase in the blood plasma as well as the plasma total antioxidant activity). The statistically significant (p<0.05-0.01) reduction in the severity of asthenic and anxiety disorders, the improvement of static-locomotor and cognitive functions as well as of parameters of cerebral hemodynamics due to the decrease in the peripheral vascular resistance and the normalization of venous outflow from the cavity of scull was seen in patients treated with mexidol compared to the baseline and the control group. Mexidol significantly reduced the intensity of lipid peroxidation and increase the total antioxidant activity of the blood. The results obtained in the study allow to consider mexidol as the effective drug in the complex treatment of discirculatory encephalopathy in elderly patients.

Keywords: chronic cerebral ischemia, discirculatory encephalopathy, antioxidants, neuroprotectors, mexidol.