A preliminary investigation of Tanakan in the treatment of hypertensive arteriosclerosis and stroke in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To observe the changes in hypertensive cerebral arteriosclerosis and the incidence of stroke in rats following treatment with Tanakan, a preparation of Ginkgo Biloba (GB).


METHODS
Using two-kidney, two clip renovascular hypertensive rats (RHRs) as animal models--we investigated changes in these hypertensive arteriosclerosis-associated factors: A I, A II, ALD, ET, SOD and cGMP. Blood levels were observed after oral administration of GB, at both early and late stages of hypertension.


RESULTS
The degree of arteriosclerosis was more severe in both RHRs control and the later treated group than in the early treated group, with blood levels of A I, A II, ALD and ET in the former two groups significantly elevated. The degree of arteriosclerosis in the early treated group decreased and the blood levels of A I, A II, ALD and ET in this group decreased nearly to normal levels. The blood levels of SOD and cGMP were also elevated in the early treated group.


CONCLUSIONS
These results reveal that it is important to treat hypertension as soon as possible, in order to reduce the occurrence of stroke.
Fang
Y
Y
Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510080, China.
Huang
R
R
Zhang
Y
Y
Lin
J
J
Li
J
J
D000818:Animals; D020441:Ginkgo biloba; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000096983:Ginkgo Extract
D010936:Plant Extracts; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; C063170:Ginkgo biloba extract; D000096983:Ginkgo Extract