Regeneration of motor nerves in bilobalide-treated rats.

Bilobalide, a terpene extracted from the leaves of the Ginkgo biloba tree, has been proposed to exert trophic and protective effects on neurons and on Schwann's cells in various neuropathies. The reinnervation of the extensor digitorum longus muscle following traumatic nerve damage was investigated in rats by using electrophysiological and histological techniques. Evaluation parameters included the membrane resting potential of muscle cells, the spontaneous quantal release of acetylcholine, and the percentage of muscle cells receiving multiple innervation. The percentage of muscle cells receiving multiple innervation reached a peak more rapidly in treated animals and declined subsequently to values lower than those found in controls. These data suggest that the rearrangement of regenerated innervation occurs more rapidly in bilobalide-treated animals.