title: Age-related effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on synaptic plasticity and excitability.
abstract: EGb 761 is a standardized extract from the Ginkgo biloba leaf and is purported to improve age-related memory impairment. The acute and chronic effect of EGb 761 on synaptic transmission and plasticity in hippocampal slices from young adult (8-12 weeks) and aged (18-24 months) C57Bl/6 mice was tested because hippocampal plasticity is believed to be a key component of memory. Acutely applied EGb 761 significantly increased neuronal excitability in slices from aged mice by reducing the population spike threshold and increased the early phase of long-term potentiation, though there was no effect in slices from young adults. In chronically treated mice fed for 30 days with an EGb 761-supplemented diet, EGb 761 significantly increased the population spike threshold and long-term potentiation in slices from aged animals, but had no effect on slices from young adults. The rapid effects of EGb 761 on plasticity indicate a direct interaction with the glutamatergic system and raise interesting implications with respect to a mechanism explaining its effect on cognitive enhancement in human subjects experiencing dementia.
authors.affiliation: CVN-12, Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Bryn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Coran M H
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rimbach
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krucker
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D020441:Ginkgo biloba; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000096983:Ginkgo Extract
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; C063170:Ginkgo biloba extract; D000096983:Ginkgo Extract