Neuroprotective effect of citicoline on ischemic stroke

Abstract

Recent experimental ischemic stroke studies have shown that citicoline can not only have neuroprotective effect, but also play the effect of nerve repair by increasing the number of endothelial progenitor cells in peripheral blood, promoting angiogenesis and neurogenesis, and enhancing neuronal plasticity. So far, although the multicenter randomized placebo controlled trials with the largest sample size-the International Citicoline Trial on Acute Stroke (ICTAS) has obtained a neutral result, the subgroup analyses have shown that citicoline treatment is more effective than placebo of not receiving rtPA thrombolytic therapy, and does not have obvious adverse reaction. Therefore, its application in patients with acute ischemic stroke is reasonable, particularly in those not receiving thrombolytic therapy. Key words: Stroke; Brain Ischemia; Cytidine Diphosphate Choline; Neuroprotective Agents