Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of ginkgolide A, ginkgolide B, and ginkgolide K after intravenous infusion of ginkgo diterpene lactones in a rat model

Ginkgo diterpene lactones are compounds that are extracted from the Ginkgo biloba leaf and possess pharmacologic activities with neuroprotective effects. To address the poor bioavailability of ginkgo diterpene lactones, ginkgo diterpene lactone meglumine injection (GDLI) was formulated and is commercially available. In this study, a simple, sensitive and reliable liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method was developed and validated for assessing the total amount and the amount of the prototype forms of ginkgolides A (GA), B (GB) and K (GK) in rat plasma and tissues. This method was used to calculate the concentrations of the hydrolysed carboxylic forms and assess the pharmacokinetics of the ginkgolides after intravenous (i.v.) GDLI administration in rats. Generally, all three ginkgolide forms showed dose-dependent plasma concentrations, and no obvious differences in pharmacokinetic parameters, i.e., area under the curve (AUC) of plasma concentration versus time and half-life, were observed after GDLI administration on 7 consecutive days. These ginkgolides primarily existed in the carboxylic form in the plasma, and the systemic concentrations of the carboxylic forms of GA and GB were 11- to 17- and 3- to 4-fold higher than those of their prototype forms, respectively. In contrast, dramatically increased levels of the GA and GB prototype lactones were detected in the liver and heart. GA, GB, and GK were extensively distributed in various organs/tissues; the highest levels were found in the kidneys, liver, and intestine, and the lowest levels were found in the brain. These data suggest that ginkgolides have difficulty crossing the blood–brain barrier and that their targets for protecting against cerebral ischaemia are located outside the central system.