Early diagnosis and pharmacological treatment to prevent the rupture of cerebral aneurysms

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H04950
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurosurgery
• Research Institution: The University of Tokushima
• Principal Investigator: NAGAHIRO Shinji 徳島大学, 病院, 病院長 (60145315)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 多田 恵曜 徳島大学, 大学病院, 特任講師 (30547964) ; 兼松 康久 徳島大学, 病院, 特任准教授 (90363142) ; 桑山 一行 徳島大学, 大学病院, 非常勤講師 (50614236) ; 八木 謙次 徳島大学, 大学病院, 講師 (80551837)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 脳・神経 / 脳血管病 / エストロゲン受容体調整薬 / 脳動脈瘤破裂

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Subarachnoid hemorrhage due to rupture of cerebral aneurysms are catastrophic and poor prognosis. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies are required to prevent the events. Estrogen deficiency is at least partly attributable to the pathogenesis, while hormonal replacement therapy does not necessarily result in the good outcome. Elsewhere we demonstrated the beneficial role of estrogen receptors (ER) against brain vascular diseases in our aneurysm models. We also demonstrated the efficacy of anti-hypertensive drugs and a selective ER modulator (SERM) approved for osteoporosis, in the cerebral aneurysm model rats and identified the risk factors associated with the expression of cytokine and vascular degradation molecules. In our pilot study, we first demonstrated that an anti-hypertensive drug, eplerenone may help to prevent the growth and rupture of unruptured cerebral aneurysms smaller than 9mm. We need further clinical studies in larger scale.

Free Research Field

脳神経外科学