Antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of extract of ginkgo biloba in rats of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of extract of ginkgo biloba (EGB) in treatment of diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in rats. METHODS: The experiment was conducted in the Laboratory, Department of Gastroenterology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China from June 2009 to December 2009. In this study, the rat model of NASH was produced by feeding high-fat diet. Sixty rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: Normal group: normal diet, drinking water; Model group: high-fat diet, single-distilled water 10 ml/kg gavage once a day for 12 weeks; and Treated group: high-fat diet, EGB 6 mg/kg gavage once a day for 12 weeks. At the end of 12 weeks, all rats were killed. The serum biochemical, fibrosis markers, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), the pathological changes, and the expression levels of nuclear factor KB (NF-κB)p65 protein in the liver were observed. RESULTS: The contents of serum alanine transaminase aspartate aminotransferase, fibrosis markers, and pathological grading of liver fibrosis and the staining intensity of NF-κBp65 protein in the liver of rats in treated group were significantly lower than those in the model group. Activities of superoxide dismutase were elevated, but levels of malondialdehyde were decreased in the treated group as compared with the model group. CONCLUSION: Extract of ginkgo biloba has antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects and can inhibit liver fibrosis in rat of NAHS.