Protective effect of ginkgo extract on rat brain with transient middle cerebral artery occlusion.
It has been empirically known that Ginkgo extract is useful for reducing many symptoms associated with cerebral blood flow (CBF) insufficiency, but its mechanisms have been uncertain. In the present study, therefore, we gave Ginkgo extract to rats with per os digestion, and investigated its effect on CBF and ischemic brain damage with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The treatment with Ginkgo extract (10 mg 100 g-1 rat) increased CBF in the normal condition, but the degree of increase in CBF was lesser during and after MCAO. TTC staining showed that infarct volume was reduced with Ginkgo treatment. TUNEL and HSP72 immunostaining confirmed the protective effect of Ginkgo treatment reducing numbers of TUNEL and HSP72 positive cells. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that caspase-3 expression was less abundant in Ginkgo treated rats. The present results suggest that Ginkgo extract contains a substance which increases normal CBF and reduces ischemic brain damage.
Department of Neurology, Okayama University Medical School, Japan. zhang@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp
W R
WR
Zhang
T
T
Hayashi
H
H
Kitagawa
C
C
Sasaki
K
K
Sakai
H
H
Warita
J M
JM
Wang
Y
Y
Shiro
M
M
Uchida
K
K
Abe
D000818:Animals; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002536:Cerebral Arteries; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000473:pathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D020441:Ginkgo biloba / Q000737:chemistry*; D050884:HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts
D050884:HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; C009591:triphenyltetrazolium; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases