Protective effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on the ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the preventive effect of Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE) on ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injuries in rats.


METHODS
Female Wistar albino rats were used for the studies. We randomly divided the rats for each study into five subgroups: normal control, experimental control, and three experimental groups. The gastric ulcers were induced by instilling 1 mL 50% ethanol into the stomach. We gave GbE 8.75, 17.5, 26.25 mg/kg intravenously to the experimental groups respectively 30 min prior to the ulcerative challenge. We removed the stomachs 45 min later. The gastric ulcers, gastric mucus and the content of non-protein sulfhydryl groups (NP-SH), malondialdehyde (MDA), c-Jun kinase (JNK) activity in gastric mucosa were evaluated. The amount of gastric juice and its acidity were also measured.


RESULTS
The findings of our study are as follows: (1) GbE pretreatment was found to provide a dose-dependent protection against the ethanol-induced gastric ulcers in rats; (2) the GbE pretreatment afforded a dose-dependent inhibition of ethanol-induced depletion of stomach wall mucus, NP-SH contents and increase in the lipid peroxidation (increase MDA) in gastric tissue; (3) gastric ulcer induced by ethanol produced an increase in JNK activity in gastric mucosa which also significantly inhibited by pretreatment with GbE; and (4) GbE alone had no inhibitory effect on gastric secretion in pylorus-ligated rats.


CONCLUSIONS
The finding of this study showed that GbE significantly inhibited the ethanol-induced gastric lesions in rats. We suggest that the preventive effect of GbE may be mediated through: (1) inhibition of lipid peroxidation; (2) preservation of gastric mucus and NP-SH; and (3) blockade of cell apoptosis.
Chen
Sheng-Hsuan
SH
Department and Research Center of Gastroenterology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan, China. shchen@tmu.edu.tw
Liang
Yu-Chih
YC
Chao
Jane C J
JC
Tsai
Li-Hsueh
LH
Chang
Chun-Chao
CC
Wang
Chia-Chi
CC
Pan
Shiann
S
D000818:Animals; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D020441:Ginkgo biloba; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D000431:Ethanol