EFFECT OF GINKOR FORT ON HYPOXIA-INDUCED NEUTROPHIL ADHERENCE TO HUMAN SAPHENOUS-VEIN ENDOTHELIUM

This study was performed to evaluate the effects of Ginkor Fort, a ven otropic drug composed of Ginkgo biloba extract, troxerutine, and hepta minol, on neutrophil adherence to the endothelium of saphenous veins. When saphenous veins were incubated 2 h in hypoxic conditions, they sh owed a five- to sixfold increase in neutrophil adherence to the endoth elium. Ginkor Fort at 0.3 mg/ml was able to inhibit this increase by 6 9%. These results were confirmed by observations in scanning electron microscopy. Ginkor Fort also inhibited the subsequent activation of th ese neutrophils, as evidenced by the inhibition of superoxide anion re lease. The biochemical mechanism of this inhibition of neutrophil adhe rence was studied on endothelial cells in culture. We observed that Gi nkor Fort was able to inhibit the different steps of the activation of endothelial cells by hypoxia: the activation of phospholipase A(2) an d the decrease in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content. By preventing the first step of the activation cascade, the decrease in ATP content, Ginkor Fort blocks the subsequent increase in neutrophil adherence as well as neutrophil activation. The biochemical mechanism evidenced in this work might explain the beneficial effect of this drug in the tre atment of patients with chronic venous insufficiency.