title: Ginkgolide B reduces neuronal cell apoptosis in the traumatic rat brain: possible involvement of toll-like receptor 4 and nuclear factor kappa B pathway.
abstract: Ginkgolide B (GB) has been demonstrated to have a variety of pharmacological actions. Accumulating evidence indicates that GB may exert a protective effect on brain injury. The study was designed to investigate the influence of GB on toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)-dependent inflammatory responses and neuronal cell apoptosis after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Wistar rats were subjected to 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg GB daily for 5 days, intraperitoneally, following TBI. Rats were sacrificed at hour 2, 6 and 12, as well as day 1, 2, 3 and 5 after TBI. The administration of 10 and 20 mg/kg GB could significantly (least-significant difference test: p < 0.05) suppress gene expressions of TLR-4 and NF-κB, lessen concentrations of tumour necrosis factor α, interleukin-1β and interleukin-6, as well as reduce the number of apoptotic neuronal cells in traumatic rat brain tissues, but the administration of 5 mg/kg GB did not (p > 0.05). However, a clear concentration-response relationship was not found. Thus, GB may inhibit TLR-4 and NF-κB-dependent inflammatory responses, and furthermore lessen neuronal cell apoptosis after TBI, which may support the use of GB for the treatment of TBI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, First Hangzhou Municipal People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Hangzhou 310000, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xiao-Qiao
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Yue-Yu
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Man
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zu-Yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy*; D046934:Ginkgolides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D007783:Lactones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D046934:Ginkgolides; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007783:Lactones; D016328:NF-kappa B; C495347:Tlr4 protein, rat; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; C045856:ginkgolide B