Effect of mild hypothermia on serum level of MMP-9, intracranial pressure and cerebral blood flow dynamics in patients with severe craniocerebral injury

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effect of mild hypothermia treatment(MHT) on the patients with severecraniocerebral injury and its mechanism.MethodsFifty patients with severe craniocerebral injury treated in our hospital from January,2013 to April, 2014 were randomly divided into two groups of 50 patients each, i.e. control group, in which the patients were treated bystandard large trauma craniotomy and conventional therapy, and observed group, in which the patients were treated by the mildhypothermia from 1 to 3 hours after the craniotomy beside the standard large trauma craniotomy and conventional therapy. The serumlevel of matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9), intracranial pressure(ICP) and cerebral blood flow dynamics were determined in 2 groupsand compared each other.ResultsThe serum level of MMP-9 and ICP were significantly lower in the observed group than those incontrol group from 3 to 7 days after the treatment(P0.05). The systolic and mean velocities of blood flow of middle cerebral artery weresignificantly higher in the observed group than those in control group(P0.05) and its pulse index was significantly lower in the observedgroup than that in control group(P0.05).ConclusionMHT can effectively lower the serum level of MMP-9 and ICP and improve thecerebral blood flow dynamics in the patients with severe craniocerebral injury.