银杏叶提取物对1型糖尿病大鼠认知功能及海马神经细胞凋亡的影响

目的： 探讨银杏叶提取物(EGB)对1型糖尿病脑病大鼠海马神经细胞的保护机制。方法: 36只SD雄性大鼠随机分为正常对照组（C组）、糖尿病模型组(DM组)、银杏叶提取物治疗组（EGB组）。用链脲佐菌素（STZ）腹腔注射建立糖尿病动物模型，EGB组腹腔注射银杏叶提取物注射液，其余2组给予同等体积的生理盐水。于12周末通过Morris水迷宫法评价各组大鼠学习记忆能力并测定血清中的血糖和胰岛素浓度；用Image-Pro Plus 6.0图像分析技术检测大鼠海马组织神经细胞密度；Western blotting和免疫组织化学法检测其Bax、Bcl-2和caspase-3蛋白的表达。结果: DM组大鼠血糖浓度(P<0.01)、海马神经细胞中Bax(P<0.01)、caspase-3(P<0.01)蛋白的表达、Bax/ Bcl-2比例 (P<0.01)及Morris水迷宫潜伏期(P<0.01)均高于C组，而胰岛素水平(P<0.01)、海马CA1和CA2区域的神经细胞密度(P<0.05) 及Morris水迷宫搜索策略能力(P<0.01)均低于C组。EGB干预治疗后大鼠胰岛素水平(P<0.05)、海马CA1和CA2区域的神经细胞密度(P<0.05) 及Morris水迷宫搜索策略能力(P<0.01)均高于DM组，而血糖浓度(P<0.01)、海马组织中Bax(P<0.05)、caspase-3(P<0.05)蛋白的表达、Bax/ Bcl-2比例 (P<0.01) 及Morris水迷宫潜伏期(P<0.05)均低于DM组。各实验组大鼠Bcl-2蛋白的表达没有明显变化。结论: 银杏叶提取物提高糖尿病大鼠的空间学习记忆能力，可能通过减少Bax、caspase-3蛋白表达、降低Bax/ Bcl-2比例，从而减少神经细胞的凋亡，提高神经细胞密度而发挥作用。提示通过有效调节神经元凋亡相关基因是EGB治疗糖尿病脑病的的重要作用机制之一。

Effects of extract of Ginkgo biloba on cognitive function and apoptosis of hippocampus neuronal cells in type 1 diabetic rats

AIM: To investigate the protective mechanism of extract of Ginkgo biloba (EGB) on apoptosis of hippocampus neuronal cells in type 1 diabetic encephalopathic rats. METHODS: Thirty-six male Sprague-Dauley rats were divided into 3 groups: control group, diabetic group and EGB-treated group. Streptozotocin was injected intraperitoneally to the animals in later two groups to induce diabetes. The rats in EGB-treated group were injected intraperitoneally with EGB, and the same volume of normal saline was injected to the rats in other groups. At the end of the 12th week, the spatial learning and memory abilities of rats in each group were examined by Morris water maze test. Blood glucose and serum insulin concentration were measured. The neuron densities in hippocampus were measured by Image-Pro Plus 6.0 software. The expressions of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3 were assayed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Compared to control group, the level of blood glucose (P<0.01), the protein expression of Bax (P<0.01) and caspase-3 (P<0.01) in hippocampus neuronal cells, and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 (P<0.01) and the escape latency (P<0.01) in diabetic group, were significantly increased, while the serum insulin concentration (P<0.01), the neuronal density (P<0.05) in CA1,CA2 hippocampal regions and the platform searching score (P<0.01) were significantly deceased. After treated with EGB, the serum insulin concentration (P<0.05), the neuronal density (P<0.05) in CA1,CA2 hippocampal regions and the platform searching score (P<0.01) were significantly increased, while the level of blood glucose (P<0.01), the protein expression of Bax (P<0.05), caspase-3 (P<0.05) in hippocampus neuronal cells, the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 (P<0.01) and the escape latency (P<0.05) were significantly deceased than those in diabetic group. The protein expression of Bcl-2 in hippocampus neuronal cells did not alter in any experimental rats. CONCLUSION: EGB improves the spatial learning and memory capacity in diabetic rats by decreasing the expression of Bax, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and down-regulating caspase-3 to reduce neurocyte apoptosis and increase the neuron density in CA1, CA2 hippocampal regions, suggesting that effective regulation of neuron apoptosis associated genes may be one of the mechanisms for EGB to treat diabetic encephalopathy.