Protective effect and mechanism of Ginkgo biloba extract-EGb 761 on STZ-induced diabetic cardiomyopathy in rats

Abstract

EGb 761 treatment (started after 7(th) week of STZ injection and continued for 3 weeks) attenuated cardiac dysfunction in diabetic rats as evidenced by a decrease in LV collagen content, protein content, LVW/BW ratio, serum LDH level. Moreover, EGb 761 attenuated the oxido-nitrosative stress (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, superoxide anion generation, myocardium nitrite) and concomitantly improved the antioxidant enzyme (reduced glutathione) level as compared to untreated diabetic rats. However, protective effect of EGb 761 was inhibited by atractyloside (mPTP opener) that was given for 3 weeks, 30 min before the EGb 761 treatment. These results indicate that EGb 761 corrects diabetic cardiac dysfunction probably by its direct radical scavenging activity and its ability to inhibit the opening of mPTP channel since the cardioprotective effect of EGb 761 was completely abolished by atractyloside.