title: NMDA receptors are involved in Ginkgo extract-induced facilitation on memory retention of passive avoidance learning in rats.
abstract: Herbal therapies are commonly used to enhance memory and learning. Ginkgo biloba has shown to be one of the most popular herbs that is used to treat amnesia and retard age related memory deficits. Although, there have been several reports on the memory enhancing effects of Ginkgo, involvement of glutamatergic system that plays pivotal role in learning and memory has not been precisely assessed so far. The current study intended to investigate the effect of Ginkgo intake on amnesia while NMDA (N-methyl D-aspartic acid) receptors blocked by the administration of MK-801. The study used passive avoidance (PA) task to investigate the effect of chronic administration of Ginkgo extract (40 and 90 mg/kg; oral) on the memory span in male Wistar rats, suffering from MK-801-induced forgetfulness (0.06 and 0.1 mg/kg; i.p.). The results indicate that Ginkgo was able to remove MK-801-induced forgetfulness, indicating that Ginkgo can affect memory retention but not effect on passive avoidance acquisition, using pathways other than glutamatergic system as well. The results might indicate that Ginkgo extract can be effective in removing forgetfulness caused by inhibiting NMDA receptors from performing their activities.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Center, Shaheed Beheshti Medical University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Elaheh
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nooshinfar
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lashgari
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haghparast
authors.forename: Samand
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sajjadi
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D020441:Ginkgo biloba / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000502:physiology*; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D028321:Plant Preparations; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate