OBJECTIVETo investigate the erythrocyte protective effects of Ginaton, a ginkgo biloba extract, in patients undergoing hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

METHODSSixty patients, who suffered from rheumatic heart disease of ASA grade II-III and scheduled for mitral valve replacement with intravenous anesthesia, were randomly assigned to two groups equally, the Ginaton group and the control group. They were administered with Ginaton 1 mg/kg and saline respectively via intravenous dripping before open heart surgery before beginning CPB. Blood samples were taken from radial artery at different time points, i.e., before CPB (T1), nasopharyngeal temperature (30-31 degrees C) stabilized stage (T2), nasopharyngeal temperature restoration (36 degrees C) stage (T3), 30 min after CPB (T4) and 3 h after CPB (T5), for determination of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in plasma and erythrocyte (P-MDA, E-MDA, P-SOD and E-SOD), as well as the Na+ -K+ -ATPase and Ca+ -Mg2+ -ATPase activities in erythrocytes.

RESULTSAs compared with those at T1, in the control group, P-MDA, E-MDA, and E-SOD at T2-T5 and E-SOD at T2 were higher, but E-SOD at T3-T5 were lower (P < 0.01); while in the Ginaton group P-MDA, E-MDA, and E-SOD at T3-T4 were higher (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). As compared with those in the control group, the levels of P-MDA and E-MDA at T2-T5 were significantly lower, and E-SOD at T3-T5 were higher (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Activities of Na+ -K+ -ATPase and Ca+ -Mg2+ -ATPase significantly increased at T2 and gradually decreased after then in both groups (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), but those at T2-T5 were significantly higher in Ginaton group than in control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONGinaton displays an erythrocyte protecting effect by way of alleviating the lipid peroxidation in erythrocytes' membrane.