Ginkgo Biloba Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ginkgo Biloba, including details on ginkgo biloba, herbal remedies, side effects, benefits.

Ginkgolide B stimulates signaling events in neutrophils and primes defense activities.

Lenoir M, Muntaner O, Pedruzzi E, Roch-Arveiller M, Tissot M, Drieu K, Périanin A

Institut Cochin, Département de Biologie Cellulaire, INSERM U567, CNRS UMR 8104, 27 rue du Faubourg St. Jacques, Bat G. Roussy, 75679 Paris Cedex 14, France.

Ginkgolide B (GKB) is a bioactive component of the standardized extract from the leaves of the Ginkgo biloba tree (EGb 761), which is used in Chinese and in occidental medicine. GKB is known as a platelet-activating factor receptor antagonist. Here, we provide evidence that GKB per se (0.25-5 microM) stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins, phospholipase D activation, calcium transients, and activation of p38 but not p44/42 Map kinases in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). These stimulatory effects remained relatively weak and primed PMN for subsequent stimulation of respiratory burst (RB) or directed locomotion by the chemoattractant fMet-Leu-Phe (fMLP) or complement-derived factor C5a. A similar RB priming was observed with rat exudate PMN after in vivo administration of EGb 761 (25 and 50 mg/kg) to rats before pleurisy induction. Thus, GKB primarily induces activation of intracellular signaling events and has the potential to prime cellular functions such as PMN defense activities.

Published 30 August 2005 in Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 335(4): 1149-54.
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