Abstract
Repeated high sustained positive Gz (+Gz) exposures are known for the harmful pathophysiological impact on the brain of rats, which is reflected as the interruption of normal performance of learning and memory. Interestingly, extract of Ginkgo biloba (EGb) has been reported to have neuroprotective effects and cognition-enhancing effects. In this study, we are interested in evaluating the protective effects of EGb toward the learning and memory abilities. Morris Water Maze Test (MWM) was used to evaluate the cognitive function, and the physiological status of the key components in central cholinergic system was also investigated. Our animal behavioral tests indicated that EGb can release the learning and memory impairment caused by repeated high sustained +Gz. Administration of EGb to rats can diminish some of the harmful physiological effects caused by repeated +Gz exposures. Moreover, EGb administration can increase the biological activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) but reduce the production of malondialdehyde (MDA). Taken together, our study showed that EGb can ameliorate the impairment of learning and memory abilities of rats induced by repeated high sustained +Gz exposure; the underlying mechanisms appeared to be related to the signal regulation on the cholinergic system and antioxidant enzymes system.
Highlights
Positive Gz (+Gz) is defined as the acceleration along the footto-head direction, which will cause the blood to flow toward the direction of inertia force, make the blood be redistributed to the lower body, and eventually lead to cerebral ischemia
The effect of EGb761 on spatial learning and memory was investigated through the Morris Water Maze Test (MWM) test
These results proved that EGb761 is able to protect the cognitive impairment caused by repeated high sustained +Gz
Summary
Positive Gz (+Gz) is defined as the acceleration along the footto-head direction, which will cause the blood to flow toward the direction of inertia force, make the blood be redistributed to the lower body, and eventually lead to cerebral ischemia. In some extreme cases, pilots of modern high performance fighters have to suffer the produced acceleration as high as +9 Gz for 15 to 45 s, and this can cause loss of consciousness (G-LOC) of the pilots [1]. In animal experiments, this circumstance results in G-LOC for rats and mice [2]. Recent studies showed that cerebral ischemia induced by high sustained +Gz may damage the ability of learning and memory in animals [3, 4]. It is important to explore ameliorating brain function drugs to counteract the harm of high sustained +Gz
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