The protective effects of ginkgo biloba extract on cultured human retinal ganglion cells

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of ginkgo biloba extract (EGb) 761 on human retinal ganglion cells (RGC). It was an experimental study. Cultured human retinal cells were separated for four groups: control group, glutamate group, EGb761 group and EGb761+glutamate group. RGC survival rate was determined by immune Flow cytometry using Thy-1 as a special fluorescent antibody of RGC. RGC survival rate in Multi groups were analysed by repetitive measure analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the differences between groups were analysed by LSD t test. The effects of EGb761 on cultured human RGC were different under different interfere factors. The RGC survival rate was (61.94±7.75)% in control group, (44.59±4.19)% in glutamate group, (75.05±3.90)% in EGb761 group, and (63.19±9.44)% in EGb761+glutamate group. There were significant difference in different groups on survival rates of RGC (F=13.329, P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the survival rate of RGC in glutamate group was significantly decreased (P=0.010), while the EGb761 group was significantly increased (P=0.019), and the EGb761+glutamate group had no significant difference (P=0.801). Compared with the glutamate group, the survival rate of RGC in the EGb761 group and the EGb761+glutamate group was significantly increased (P=0.000, 0.020). There was no significant difference in the percentage of the large RGC in all groups. But compared with the control group (36.69±2.92)%, the percentage of large RGC in dead RGC in the EGb761 group (24.63±7.21)% and the EGb761+glutamate group (25.99±5.05)% was significantly decreased (P=0.001, 0.002). Compared with the glutamate group (40.78±3.34)%, the death rate of the large RGC in the EGb761 group and the EGb761+glutamate group was also significantly decreased (P=0.000, 0.000). EGb761 can protect RGC against glutamate induced neurotoxicity, and it has significant protective effect on cultured human RGC.