Inhibitory effects of ginkgolides on nitric oxide production in neonatal rat microglia in vitro.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of ginkgolide A (GA) and B (GB), apafant (Apa), and N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NA) on nitric oxide (NO) production in cultured neonatal rat microglia.


METHODS
NO concentration was represented by nitrite which was determined by Griess reaction.


RESULTS
In resting microglia, no inhibitory effects of GA, GB, and Apa were observed. L-NA inhibited NO production, its IC50 value (95% confidence limits) being 3.4 (0.8-14.9) mumol.L-1. GA, GB, and L-NA inhibited NO production in LPS-stimulated microglia, and their IC50 values (95% confidence limits) were 5.7 (1.8-18.1), 1.1 (0.3-4.4), and 0.5 (0.1-2.8) mumol.L-1, respectively. Apa did not inhibit NO production.


CONCLUSIONS
GA and GB inhibited NO production in LPS-stimulated microglia.
Du
Z Y
ZY
Department of Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.
Li
X Y
XY
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001381:Azepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004224:Diterpenes; D046934:Ginkgolides; D007783:Lactones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D017628:Microglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019335:Nitroarginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014230:Triazoles / Q000494:pharmacology
D001381:Azepines; D004224:Diterpenes; D046934:Ginkgolides; D007783:Lactones; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D014230:Triazoles; C052518:WEB 2086; D019335:Nitroarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C045856:ginkgolide B