title: Effects of chronic administration of bilobalide on amino acid levels in mouse brain.
abstract: We have previously demonstrated that 4-day-treatment of mice with bilobalide, a sesquiterpene of Ginkgo biloba L., increases GABA levels in mouse brain, but, effects of chronic treatment with it are not clear. To study effects of chronic treatment of mice with bilobalide on amino acid levels in the brain, we determined the levels of aspartate, glutamate, serine, glutamine, glycine, taurine and GABA in the hippocampus, striatum and cortex. Bilobalide (3 mg/kg/day) was administered orally to 4-week-old mice for 40 days. Bilobalide treatment resulted in a significant increase in the levels of glutamate, aspartate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glycine in the hippocampus of mice compared with the control. An increased level of glycine after bilobalide treatment was also detected in the striatum. In the cortex, bilobalide increased the GABA level, whereas it decreased the level of aspartate. These changes in the levels of various amino acids may be involved in the broad spectrum of pharmacological activities of the extract of Ginkgo biloba on the central nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygienic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, lshikari-Tobetsu, Japan. ksasaki@hoku-iryo-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hatta
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Teruki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haga
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003517:Cyclopentanes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004224:Diterpenes; D005663:Furans / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D046934:Ginkgolides; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013654:Taurine / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D003517:Cyclopentanes; D004224:Diterpenes; D005663:Furans; D046934:Ginkgolides; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D013654:Taurine; C073710:bilobalide