title: Protective effects of Ginkgo biloba extract in rats with hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced intestinal injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study is to investigate the protective effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) in rat pups with hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced bowel injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  One-day-old Wistar albino rat pups (n = 21) were randomly divided into 3 groups: group 1 (control, untreated and not exposed to H/R, n = 7), group 2 (untreated but exposed to H/R, n = 7), and group 3 (EGb 761 + H/R, n = 7). Ginkgo biloba extract was administered (100 mg/kg per day, subcutaneously) to group 3 for 3 days. On the fourth day, all animals except controls were exposed to H/R and were killed 6 hours after H/R. Histopathologic injury scores (HIS), malondialdehyde, glutathione (GSH), GSH-peroxidase (Px) activities, and nitric oxide (NO) levels were measured on intestinal samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the control group had normal HIS, group 2 had grade 3 HIS. In contrast, group 3 had minimal HIS, and these results were significantly better than those of group 2 (P < .001). Malondialdehyde and NO levels of group 3 were significantly lower than those of group 2 (P < .01). Glutathione and GSH-Px activities of group 1 were higher than those of groups 2 and 3 (P < .05). However, there were no significant differences for GSH and GSH-Px activities between groups 2 and 3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that hypoxia and NO contributed to the pathogenesis of H/R-induced intestinal injury and that prophylactically administered EGb 761 had a protective effect on bowel injury.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, 20100 Denizli, Turkey. Electronic address: drozmert@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Özmert M A
authors.initials: ÖMA
authors.lastname: Özdemir
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, 20100 Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hacer
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ergin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Adnan Menderes University, 09100 Aydın, Turkey.
authors.forename: Çigdem
authors.initials: Ç
authors.lastname: Yenisey
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, 20100 Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nilay Şen
authors.initials: NŞ
authors.lastname: Türk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D020441:Ginkgo biloba; D000860:Hypoxia; D007077:Ileal Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007082:Ileum / Q000098:blood supply*; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000096983:Ginkgo Extract
chemical_list: D008315:Malondialdehyde; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D010936:Plant Extracts; C063170:Ginkgo biloba extract; D000096983:Ginkgo Extract