The effect of injection of EGb 761 into the lateral ventricle on hippocampal cell apoptosis and stem cell stimulation in situ of the ischemic/reperfusion rat model

•EGb 761 treatment significantly reduced the infarct volume.•EGb 761 decreased ischemia-induced apoptosis in ipsilateral cortex and hippocampus.•Neurogenesis in the hippocampus was enhanced by EGb 761 treatment.•The colocalization of PSA-NCAM and BrdU was enhanced by EGb 761 treatment.

EGb 761 is main active ingredient of the popular and standardized natural extract Ginkgo biloba, which is known to benefit ischemic stroke. In this study we investigated the potential neuroprotective effect of EGb 761 on the hippocampus in the ischemic/reperfusion rat model. Significant recovery of motor function was seen in EGb 761 treated group compared to vehicle treated group. Infarct volume, as revealed by 1% 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining, was significantly reduced, coupled with conspicuous suppression of neurons apoptosis and significant increments in the cell proliferation and migration in hippocampus. This study reports the therapeutic potential of EGb 761 in stroke animals, which could be related to the attenuation of apoptosis and enhancement of neurogenesis.