Changes of somatosensory evoked potential, serum and brain nitric oxide levels and effect of Ginkgo Biloba extract following subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To investigate the changes of somatosensory evoked potential(SEP), nitric oxide (NO) levels both in serum and in brain tissue after subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH) and the influence of Ginkgo biloba extract(GBE) on them. METHODS: Wistar rats were divided into sham-operated group, pure SAH group and GBE-treated group. Dynamic changes of regional cerebral blood flow( rCBF),SEP, and NO levels both in serum and in brain tissue were detected within 24 hours after operation. RESULTS: In pure SAH group, rCBF decreased immediately after operation, with no tendency to recover within 24 hours. Latency of SEP delayed progressively from 1 hour to 24 hours after SAH.NO levels in serum and in brain tissue decreased and increased respectively from 1 hour to 24 hours after SAH. GBE effectively antagonized the changes of above parameters. CONCLUSION: SEP is useful in the judgement of cerebral ischemic damage after SAH. Decrease of serum NO and increase of brain NO are important factors leading to cerebral vasospasm and neural damage respectively after SAH. GBE relieves cerebral ischemic damage by reversing the pathological alterations of NO.