A Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) prevents mitochondrial aging by protecting against oxidative stress.
The effect of aging on indices of oxidative damage in rat mitochondria and the protective effect of the Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 was investigated. Mitochondrial DNA from brain and liver of old rats exhibited oxidative damage that is significantly higher than that from young rats. Mitochondrial glutathione is also more oxidized in old than in young rats. Peroxide formation in mitochondria from old animals was higher than in those from young ones. According to morphological parameters (size and complexity), there are two populations of mitochondria. One is composed of large, highly complex mitochondria, and the other population is smaller and less complex. Brain and liver from old animals had a higher proportion of the large, highly complex mitochondria than seen in organs from young animals. Treatment with the Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 partially prevented these morphological changes as well as the indices of oxidative damage observed in brain and liver mitochondria from old animals.
Sastre
J
J
Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Univ. Valencia, Spain.
Millán
A
A
García de la Asunción
J
J
Plá
R
R
Juan
G
G
Pallardó
O'Connor
E
E
Martin
J A
JA
Droy-Lefaix
M T
MT
Viña
J
J
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004249:DNA Damage; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000378:metabolism; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020441:Ginkgo biloba; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000502:physiology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010545:Peroxides / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013384:Succinate Cytochrome c Oxidoreductase / Q000378:metabolism; D000096983:Ginkgo Extract
D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D005978:Glutathione; D010545:Peroxides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013384:Succinate Cytochrome c Oxidoreductase; C063170:Ginkgo biloba extract; D000096983:Ginkgo Extract