Protective effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on gastric mucosa

AIM: To study the protective effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE) on gastric mucosa. METHODS: By means of restraint-cold stress (RCS) in rats and 100 % ethanol gavage in mice, the index of gastric mucosal injury was evaluated. The gastric juice was collected using pyloric ligation, and the volume and acidity of juice, and activity of pepsin were determined. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method. RESULTS: GbE (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, bid x 5 d, ig) inhibited dose-dependently the gastric mucosal injury induced by RCS and 100 % ethanol gavage. The index of gastric mucosal injury after RCS in groups pretreated with GbE was 58 %, 43 %, and 31 % of control group respectively. The index of gastric mucosal injury induced by ethanol in groups pretreated with GbE was 62 %, 36 %, and 26 % of the control group, respectively. And GbE enhanced the protective effects of cimetidine (Cim) on gastric mucosa. But it did not obviously influence the volume and acidity of gastric juice as well as the activity of pepsin. One hour after the administration of ig 100 % ethanol, the contents of MDA in gastric mucosa and serum in mice increased (P < 0.01) vs the control group. But pretreatment with GbE (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, ig) could inhibit this increase of MDA both in gastric mucosa and in serum. CONCLUSION: GbE had protective effects on gastric mucosa and GbE plus Cim possessed the synergism in the treatment of acute gastric mucosal lesions.