Protective effects of dexmedetomidine on brain function of glioma patients undergoing craniotomy resection and its underlying mechanism

Introduction: To explore the protective effects of dexmedetomidine on brain of glioma patients undergoing craniotomy resection and its underlying mechanism. Methods: 60 cases of patients undergoing craniotomy resection of glioma were randomly divided into group C(n= 30) and D (n =30). D group patients received dexmedetomidine vein pump injection at a dose of 1 mu/kg 10 min before anesthesia induction, with a maintain dose of 0.4 mu g/(kg/h). Group C patients received saline instead. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (heart rate, HR) were compared between the two groups of patients before anesthesia induction (T1), before tracheal intubation (T2), immediately after tracheal intubation (T3),1 min after tracheal intubation (T4), 3 min after tracheal intubation (T5), 5 min after tracheal intubation (T6). Expression levels of serum interleukin-6 (IL -6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), neuron-specific enolase of Enzyme (NSE) and S100 beta were compared between the two groups of patients before surgery, immediately post-surgery and 24 h post-surgery. Results: No significant differences of MAP and HR between the two groups were found at Tl, T2, T5 and T6 (P>0.05); The levels of MAP and HR in group C were significantly higher than those in group D at T3 and T4 (P<0.05). No significant differences of preoperative expression levels of serum TNF-alpha, IL-6, NSE, 5100 beta, SOD and MDA were found between the two groups (P>0.05); Serum levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, NSE, S100 beta and MDA were significantly reduced, whereas SOD was significantly increased in group D compared with those in group C at surgery time and 24 h post-surgery (P< 0.05). Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine can significantly stabilize hemodynamics, reduce inflammation, and inhibit free radical generation, thus plays an important role on brain protection in patients undergoing craniotomy resection of glioma. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.