The effect of ginkgo biloba on the rat retinal ganglion cell survival in the optic nerve crush model.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of ginkgo biloba on the retinal ganglion cell survival in a rat optic nerve crush model.


METHODS
Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into a study group of 12 animals receiving intraperitoneal injections of ginkgo biloba and a control group of 12 animals receiving intraperitoneal saline injections. All injections were performed 1 hr before the optic nerve crush and daily afterwards. For each animal, the right optic nerve was crushed closely behind the globe for 60 seconds using a microclip with 40 g power. The left optic nerve was kept intact. At 23 days after the optic nerve crush, the retinal ganglion cells were labelled retrogradely by injecting 3% fluorogold into both sides of the superior colliculus of the brain. At 4 weeks after the optic nerve crush, the animals were killed. Photographs taken from retinal flat mounts were assessed for the number and density of the retinal ganglion cells.


RESULTS
The survival rate, defined as the ratio of the retinal ganglion cell density in the right eye with the optic nerve crush divided by the retinal ganglion cell density in left eye without an optic nerve trauma, was significantly (p=0.035) higher in the study group with ginkgo biloba than in the control group (60.0+/-6.0% versus 53.5+/-8.0%).


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that intraperitoneal injections of a ginkgo biloba extract given prior to and daily after an experimental and standardized optic nerve crush in rats were associated with a higher survival rate of retinal ganglion cells.
Ma
Ke
K
Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing TongRen Eye Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. cdmake@sohu.com
Xu
Liang
L
Zhang
Haijuan
H
Zhang
Shixian
S
Pu
Mingliang
M
Jonas
Jost B
JB
D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020441:Ginkgo biloba / Q000737:chemistry*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D009409:Nerve Crush; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000601:surgery; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts