Faculty Collaboration Database

Long-term treatment with standardized extract of Ginkgo biloba L. enhances the conditioned suppression of licking in rats by the modulation of neuronal and glial cell function in the dorsal hippocampus and central amygdala. Neuroscience 2013 Apr 03;235:70-86

Date

01/17/2013

Pubmed ID

23321541

DOI

10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.01.009

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84873727144 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   20 Citations

Abstract

Our group previously demonstrated that short-term treatment with a standardized extract of Ginkgo biloba (EGb) changed fear-conditioned memory by modulating gene expression in the hippocampus, amygdaloid complex and prefrontal cortex. Although there are few controlled studies that support the long-term use of EGb for the prevention and/or treatment of memory impairment, the chronic use of Ginkgo is common. This study evaluated the effects of chronic treatment with EGb on the conditioned emotional response, assessed by the suppression of ongoing behavior and in the modulation of gene and protein expression. Male adult Wistar rats were treated over 28days and assigned to five groups (n=10) as follows: positive control (4mgkg(-1) Diazepam), negative control (12% Tween 80), EGb groups (0.5 and 1.0gkg(-1)) and the naïve group. The suppression of the licking response was calculated for each rat in six trials. Our results provide further evidence for the efficacy of EGb on memory. For the first time, we show that long-term treatment with the highest dose of EGb improves the fear memory and suggests that increased cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB)-1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNA and protein (P<0.001) in the dorsal hippocampus and amygdaloid complex and reduced growth and plasticity-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) (P<0.01) in the hippocampus are involved in this process. The fear memory/treatment-dependent changes observed in our study suggest that EGb might be effective for memory enhancement through its effect on the dorsal hippocampus and amygdaloid complex.

Author List

Oliveira DR, Sanada PF, Filho AC, Conceição GM, Cerutti JM, Cerutti SM

Author

Daniela R. Rodrigues de Oliveira Research Scientist I in the Pharmacology and Toxicology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Amygdala
Animals
Conditioning, Operant
Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein
Data Interpretation, Statistical
Diazepam
Fear
GAP-43 Protein
Ginkgo biloba
Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
Hippocampus
Hypnotics and Sedatives
Immunohistochemistry
Male
Memory
Neuroglia
Neuronal Plasticity
Neurons
Plant Extracts
Prefrontal Cortex
Rats
Rats, Wistar