Hyperbaric oxygen and Ginkgo Biloba extract inhibit Aβ25-35-induced toxicity and oxidative stress in vivo: a potential role in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the accumulation and deposition of Aβ peptides in human brains and Aβ induced free radical-mediated damage is one of the hypotheses. In the present study, we explored the protective effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) and Ginkgo Biloba extract (EGB761) on Aβ25-35-induced brain toxicity. Our results demonstrated that EGB761, HBO, and the combination HBO and EGB761, could significantly improve the cognitive function in AD rats' model, especially the combination group. What's more, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in rat hippocampal tissue were obviously enhanced followed by evidently reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the same treatment groups mentioned earlier. There were no differences of nitric oxide (NO) productions in the group of EGB761, HBO, and HBO and EGB761, but they were all lower than that of model group. These findings suggest that both HBO and EGB761 may relieve cell toxicity and oxidative stress in AD and thus play a potential protective role in AD. Furthermore, the combination could have better effects compared with single one.