Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb761) inhibits autophagy and apoptosis in a rat model of vascular dementia via the AMPK-mTOR signalling pathway

Vascular dementia (VD), a chronic syndrome of acquired intellectual impairment resulting from cerebrovascular diseases, is closely linked to neuronal autophagy and apoptosis. As a standardized extract from Ginkgo biloba L. leaves, EGb761 is widely applied for treating cerebrovascular diseases owing to its neuroprotective effects, with on-going research exploring its therapeutic mechanisms. Rat model of VD and SH-SY5Y cell model with OGD/R injury was applied for this study. Results showed that EGb761 reduces OGD/R-elicited apoptosis and autophagosome production, whereas improving the viability of hippocampal neurons. EGb761 treatment led to a decrease in the ratios of p-AMPK/AMPK, Bax/Bcl-2, cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9/caspase-9, LC3-II/LC3-I, and level of Beciln-1, as well as enhancing the proportion of p-mTOR/mTOR. Additionally, EGb761 indicated a protective effect on rats' cognitive function. These results demonstrated EGb761′s specific therapeutic mechanism in preventing apoptosis and autophagy in VD models and improving cognitive functioning in VD rats through AMPK-mTOR signalling.