Protective Effects ofGinkgo bilobaExtract EGb 761 against Noise Trauma-Induced Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Development

Abstract

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and resulting comorbidities like subjective tinnitus are common diseases in modern societies. A substance shown to be effective against NIHL in an animal model is the Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761. Further effects of the extract on the cellular and systemic levels of the nervous system make it a promising candidate not only for protection against NIHL but also for its secondary comorbidities like tinnitus. Following an earlier study we here tested the potential effectiveness of prophylactic EGb 761 treatment against NIHL and tinnitus development in the Mongolian gerbil. We monitored the effects of EGb 761 and noise trauma-induced changes on signal processing within the auditory system by means of behavioral and electrophysiological approaches. We found significantly reduced NIHL and tinnitus development upon EGb 761 application, compared to vehicle treated animals. These protective effects of EGb 761 were correlated with changes in auditory processing, both at peripheral and central levels. We propose a model with two main effects of EGb 761 on auditory processing, first, an increase of auditory brainstem activity leading to an increased thalamic input to the primary auditory cortex (AI) and second, an asymmetric effect on lateral inhibition in AI.

Ginkgo biloba in the treatment of tinnitus: An updated literature review

“…However, in some studies and clinical trials it has been stated that this herb has no beneficial effect in comparison with placebo in the treatment of tinnitus (Table 2). There are many studies on the effects of Ginkgo biloba in the treatment of patients with tinnitus that most of the findings of these studies are in contrast with each other; on the one hand, some of the studies reported that Ginkgo biloba is effective in the treatment of tinnitus effective [48][49][50][51][52][53] and on the other hand other studies referred to it as ineffective herbal medicine 28,[54][55][56][57] . The results of a systematic review showed that Ginkgo biloba is little/less effective in the treatment of tinnitus.…”

Tinnitus: algorithm of diagnostics and clinical management

“…Нейропротективное действие EGb 761 обеспечивает повышение устойчивости нервной ткани к разнообразным повреждающим факторам. Так, в экспериментах на животных было показано снижение ототоксического воздействия цисплатина [41] и уменьшение повреждающего действия шума на слуховой анализатор [42,43] на фоне приема препарата. Указанные эффекты отражают процессы нейропластичности и позволяют объяснить аддитивный терапевтический эффект EGb 761 у больных с внезапной нейросенсорной тугоухостью, получающих лечение кортикостероидами, что было показано в рандомизированном контролируемом исследовании J. Koo и соавт.…”

Tanakan as a multimodal cytoprotective factor in general medicine (part II)

“…Авторы другого экспериментального исследования исходили из посылки, что шум-индуцированное снижение слуха и коморбидный шум в ушах -весьма распространенные заболевания в наши дни [33]. Препаратом, показавшим эффективность при этой патологии в эксперименте, является EGb761.…”