YOU ARE NOW CONNECTED TO THE TOXLINE (1981 FORWARD, NON-ROYALTY) FILE. ==GINGKO BILOBA== 9 AUTHOR Subhan Z AUTHOR Hindmarch I TITLE Psychopharmacological effects of Ginkgo Biloba extract in normal healthy volunteers SOURCE Int. J. Clin. Pharmacol. Res.; VOL 4 ISS 2 1984, P89-93, (REF 21) ABSTRACT IPA COPYRIGHT: ASHP In a randomized, double blind crossover study, the effects of acute oral doses of 120, 240, 600 mg Gingko biloba (Tanakan; Tebonin; I) extract on cognitive function and information processing, were evaluated in 8 (aged 25-40 yr) healthy female volunteers. No significant changes from placebo were observed in critical flicker fusion, choice reaction time, or subjective ratings of drug effects. However, memory as assessed using the Sternberg technique was found to be significantly improved following treatment with 0.6 g I when compared to placebo. The results suggest a localized effect of I on the serial comparison stage of the reaction process. 2 AUTHOR Emerit I AUTHOR Arutyunyan R AUTHOR Oganesian N AUTHOR Levy A AUTHOR Cernjavsky L AUTHOR Sarkisian T AUTHOR Pogossian A AUTHOR Asrian K TITLE Radiation-Induced Clastogenic Factors: Anticlastogenic Effect of Ginkgo Biloba Extract SOURCE Free Radical Biology and Medicine, Vol. 18, No. 6, pages 985-991, 30 references, 1995 ABSTRACT A study was conducted to evaluate the anticlastogenic effect of an extract from Ginkgo-biloba leaves in Armenian liquidators who were engaged in emergency interventions around the Chernobyl atomic power station. Blood samples from the liquidators were obtained for the isolation of clastogenic factors (CFs). In-vitro CF production was achieved by irradiation of blood samples from healthy donors. Aliquots of CF isolates were incubated with whole blood test cultures derived from healthy donors for 72 hours. Antioxidants such as superoxide-dismutase (SOD) were added to the cultures prior to CF addition. A cytogenetic assay was used to examine the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities, including gaps, breaks, and dicentrics. The Gingko extract, designated EGb-761, was tested on the CF treated blood cultures. EGb-761 in concentrations between 10 and 100 micrograms/milliliter (microg/ml) reduced the number of dividing cells in cytogenetic cultures only slightly, whereas 50% inhibition occurred at concentrations of 200microg/ml. EGb-761 reduced the CF induced aberration rates at concentrations higher than 50microg/ml. CFs caused an average of 18.00+/-4.41 aberrations per 100 cells in 12 consecutive experiments. When cells were exposed to CFs in the presence of 100microg/ml EGb-761, only 7.33 aberrations per 100 cells were found. In cultures receiving SOD at 30 units/milliliter, the mean aberration rate was 6.28 compared with 19.14 for cultures not treated with SOD. Nine liquidators who took 40 milligrams of EGb-761 three times a day for 2 months reduced their CF activity to baseline levels. CF activity did not recur several months after stopping EGb-761 treatment. The study encourages the use of antioxidants for therapy after exposure to radioactivity and disease prevention. 6 AUTHOR Tschopp K AUTHOR Probst R TITLE Acute Acoustic Trauma. A Retrospective Study of Influencing Factors and Different Therapies in 268 Patients SOURCE Acta Oto-Laryngologica, Vol. 108, No. 5, pages 378-384, 20 references, 1989 ABSTRACT A retrospective evaluation of the effects of age, occupation, treatment modality, and other factors on acute acoustic trauma (AAT) was conducted. The cohort consisted of 199 Swiss soldiers who suffered AAT during their military service and who were examined and treated within the first 48 hours. The comparisons consisted of 69 soldiers who sustained AAT but who were not examined and treated until an average of 7 days after the injury. The case files were examined to assess the effects of age, civilian occupation, degree of hearing loss, audiometric profile, and treatment on the outcome. Relative hearing gains, defined as the difference in hearing thresholds before and after treatment divided by the initial hearing loss, were calculated. The left and right ears were equally affected. None of the subjects experienced a negative relative hearing gain which would have indicated that the hearing damage progressed. The average overall relative hearing gain was 47 percent. The relative hearing gain was not correlated with initial hearing loss. Initial hearing losses in all subjects revealed similar audiometric patterns. Most losses occurred around 6 kilohertz. Age and civilian population did not significantly affect relative hearing gain. The subjects were treated with carbon-dioxide, dextran-40 a Gingko-biloba extract, pentoxifylline, heparin, or Ringers solution alone or in combination. The extent of hearing recovery did not vary with treatment modality. The cohort subjects demonstrated significantly better hearing recovery than the comparisons after 1 week. The authors conclude that age, occupation, degree of initial hearing loss, and audiometric contour do not appear to affect recovery from AAT. It was not possible to determine if any of the treatment regimens had any effect on recovery of hearing.