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World J Gastroenterol. Jan 14, 2007; 13(2): 299-305
Published online Jan 14, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i2.299
Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) attenuates lung injury induced by intestinal ischemia/reperfusion in rats: Roles of oxidative stress and nitric oxide
Ke-Xuan Liu, Wei-Kang Wu, Wei He, Chui-Liang Liu
Ke-Xuan Liu, Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China
Wei-Kang Wu, The Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China
Wei He, Department of Anesthesiology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China
Chui-Liang Liu, Department of Anesthesiology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510120, Guangdong Province, China
Supported by grants from the Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Guangdong Province, China, No. 1040066; Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China, No. 05300758; National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30672021
Correspondence to: Dr. Ke-Xuan Liu, Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China. liukexuan807@yahoo.com.cn
Telephone: +86-20-87755766-8273
Received: October 12, 2006
Revised: October 29, 2006
Accepted: November 23, 2006
Published online: January 14, 2007
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the effect of ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) on lung injury induced by intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (II/R).

METHODS: The rat model of II/R injury was produced by clamping the superior mesenteric artery for 60 min followed by reperfusion for 180 min. The rats were randomly allocated into sham, II/R, and EGb +II/R groups. In EGb +II/R group, EGb 761 (100 mg/kg per day) was given via a gastric tube for 7 consecutive days prior to surgery. Rats in II/R and sham groups were treated with equal volumes of the vehicle of EGb 761. Lung injury was assessed by light microscopy, wet-to-dry lung weight ratio (W/D) and pulmonary permeability index (PPI). The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrite/nitrate (NO2-/NO3-), as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were examined. Western blot was used to determine the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS).

RESULTS: EGb 761 markedly improved mean arterial pressure and attenuated lung injury, manifested by the improvement of histological changes and significant decreases of pulmonary W/D and PPI (p < 0.05 or 0.01). Moreover, EGb 761 markedly increased SOD activity, reduced MDA levels and MPO activity, and suppressed NO generation accompanied by down-regulation of iNOS expression (p < 0.05 or 0.01).

CONCLUSION: The results indicate that EGb 761 has a protective effect on lung injury induced by II/R, which may be related to its antioxidant property and suppressions of neutrophil accumulation and iNOS-induced NO generation. EGb 761 seems to be an effective therapeutic agent for critically ill patients with respiratory failure related to II/R.

Keywords: Ginkgo biloba Extract, Intestine, Reperfusion injury, Lung, Adult respiratory distress syndrome, Vascular permeability, Nitric oxide, Lipid peroxidation