Objective: This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of ginkgo biloba extract (EGb) 761 on human retinal ganglion cells (RGC).
Methods: 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.
Results: 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).
Conclusion: EGb761 can protect RGC against glutamate induced neurotoxicity, and it has significant protective effect on cultured human RGC.