Effect and significance of Ginkgo biloba(银杏叶) extract on the expression of caspase-3 in the infant rats with brain injury following recurrent seizures / 中国中西医结合急救杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effects of Ginkgo biloba(银杏叶) extract on the expression of caspase-3 in the hippocampus of the rats following recurrent seizures,the role of caspase-3 in the brain injury induced by seizures and the possible protective mechanism of Ginkgo biloba extract against brain injury.Methods One hundred and eight Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats,twenty-day-old,were divided randomly into three groups the control group,the seizure group and the Ginkgo biloba extract treatment group.Seizures models in rats were produced by consecutive inhalation of flurothyl daily for six days.The rats in the Ginkgo biloba extract treatment group received 50 mg/kg of the Ginkgo biloba extract through intra-abdominal injection immediately after every seizure,and after 12 hours another injection was repeated,while the rats in seizure group and control group received volume-matched saline through intra-abdominal injections.Brain tissue was sampled at different time points(1 day,3 days,7 days) after last seizure.The expression of caspase-3 protein in the hippocampus was detected by immunohistochemistry,and the expression of caspase-3 mRNA was measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Results The caspase-3 protein and caspase-3 mRNA levels at the time points of postseizure 1,3,7 days in the hippocampus of the rat pups in seizure group were much higher than those in control group,while they were highest on the post-seizure 3rd day(all P