GM1 monosialoganglioside inner ester induces early recovery of striatal dopamine uptake in rats with unilateral nigrostriatal lesion

Sulfatide and GM1 ganglioside modulate the high-affinity dopamine uptake in rat striatal synaptosomes: evidence for the involvement of their ionic charges

The present study was undertaken to examine the effects of the anionic glycolipids GM1 ganglioside and sulfatide on the high-affinity dopamine (DA) uptake in rat striatal synaptosomes. After 1h of incubation, GM1 stably bound to synaptosomes and modified the activity of the neuronal dopamine transporter (DAT). With 1.2 and 12 microM GM1, V(max) decreased by 13 and 23%, respectively, reflecting a slight reduction of the number of functional uptake sites and K(m) was lowered by 21 and 33%, thus showing an increase of the affinity. Treatment of synaptosomes with 1.2 microM of sulfatide, which possesses an anionic sulfated group, led to a similar decrease of V(max) (19%) than GM1, but to a significantly higher reduction of K(m) (35%). In fact, sulfatide associated to synaptosomes in a 3.5-fold higher extent than GM1. Conversely, when GM1 and sulfatide were replaced by GM1 alcohol and galactosylceramide, respectively, no modification of the DA uptake occurred, although these neutral glycolipids incorporated into the synaptosomes to the same extent as the related anionic compounds.Altogether, these results demonstrate the key role of negative charges linked to the oligosaccharide chains of glycolipids in the modulation of DA transport across the synaptosomal membrane.

GM1 ganglioside reduces ethanol intoxication and the development of ethanol dependence

The monosialoganglioside, GM1, protects the nervous system against a variety of insults. In this study, we evaluated the protective properties of GM1 on ethanol intoxication and development of dependence. GM1 (20-40 mg/kg, IP) reduced the extent and duration of ataxia produced by ethanol (2 g/kg, IP, 15-95 min), and delayed the onset of loss and reduced the duration of the righting reflex (LORR) produced by ethanol (4.2 g/kg, IP). GM1 did not alter ethanol-induced hypothermia or the rate of ethanol clearance. Rather, GM1 increased the waking blood ethanol concentration. In animals fed a complete liquid diet containing 4.5% ethanol, concurrent administration of GM1 (40 mg/kg/day) blocked the tremors, hypolocomotion, and anxiety-like behavior associated with ethanol withdrawal. These findings demonstrate that GM1 reduces both ethanol's acute intoxication and the signs and symptoms of ethanol withdrawal by a mechanism not related to ethanol pharmacokinetics.

Effects of monosialoganglioside on dopaminergic supersensitivity

The effects of monosialoganglioside (GMl) treatment on dopaminergic supersensitivity induced by long-term haloperidol administration were studied; both general activity of rats observed in an open-field and apomorphine-induced stereotyped behavior were used as experimental parameters. GMl per se (5.0 mg/kg, twice daily, for 30 days) did not modify rat behavior, but when given in combination with haloperidol (1.0 mg/kg, twice daily, for 30 days) it increased neuroleptic withdrawal symptoms as detected in both models. When GMl (5.0 mg/kg, twice daily) was administered after abrupt withdrawal from haloperidol (1.0 mg/kg, twice daily, for 30 days), it attenuated the increases in both general activity of rats observed in the open-field and apomorphine-induced stereotyped behavior. These results suggest that GMl may affect synaptic plasticity, facilitating the induction of the adaptative changes in receptor function (up and down-regulation), following long-term haloperidol treatment and withdrawal.

Dopamine release and dopaminergic inhibition of acetylcholine release in rat striatal slices after nigro-striatal hemitransection and parenteral ganglioside administration

Hemitransection of the nigro-striatal bundle in adult rats reduced [3H]dopamine ([3H]DA) uptake into striatal slices from the lesioned side to about 20% of that in the contralateral side 5 days after surgery. Spontaneous recovery of [3H]DA uptake was observed at days 8 and 15 post-lesion (42 and 67% of the unoperated side, respectively). After a short treatment (3 days) with the GM1 ganglioside inner ester (AGF2, 30 mg/kg i.p., daily, starting on day 2 after surgery) [3H]DA uptake amounted to 52% of that in the unoperated side. The electrically evoked fractional overflow of [3H]DA was increased by 500% in slices prepared from the lesioned side 5 days after injury, largely due to the reduced re-uptake by the DA axon terminals. The increase on day 5 was only about 350% in AGF2-treated animals. The DA D2 receptor antagonist, (-)-sulpiride, potentiated the stimulus-evoked overflow of [14C]acetylcholine in slices from the unoperated side prelabelled with [14C]choline. The effect of (-)-sulpiride was much reduced (by about 80%) in the lesioned striata at days 5 and 8 after surgery. Partial recovery was seen at day 15. The lesion did not modify the (-)-sulpiride effect in animals treated with AGF2 from the 2nd to the 5th day post-lesion. Thus early ganglioside administration slows the loss of endogenous dopaminergic control of acetylcholine release caused by partial hemitransection of the nigro-striatal bundle.

GM1 ganglioside treatment promotes recovery of electrically-stimulated [3H]dopamine release in striatal slices from rats lesioned with kainic acid

The electrically-evoked release of [3H]dopamine ([3H]DA) from rat striatal slices was studied after a monolateral intrastriatal injection of kainic acid (KA). The release in the KA-lesioned striatum measured 4 days after the lesion was largely reduced (by 80%) with respect to the contralateral striatum. Administration of GM1 ganglioside (GM1) beginning on the day of the lesion resulted in restoration of the catecholamine release. Significant recovery was observed when GM1 was administered i.p. daily at the dose of 3 mg/kg for 6 days. The ganglioside given for 6 days at 30 mg/kg restored to near normal the electrically-evoked [3H]DA release. Similar recovery from the KA-induced injury occurred spontaneously but required 50 days.

Derivatives of ganglioside GM1 as neuronotrophic agents: comparison of in vivo and in vitro effects

Exogenously administered gangliosides have been shown to behave as neuronotrophic/neuritogenic agents in a variety of cell culture systems and animal models, but it is not known whether they operate by the same mechanism in vivo and in vitro. To probe this question we have employed two derivatives of GM1 lacking the negative charge: the methyl ester (GM1-CH3) and the NaBH4 reduction product of the latter (GM1-OH) in which the carboxyl group is replaced by a primary alcohol. Both derivatives proved to be as neuritogenic as GM1 in 3 cell culture systems: neuro-2A cels, PC12 cells and explanted dorsal root ganglia. However, GM1-OH proved ineffective when applied to two animal models involving reduction of cholinergic markers in: (a) hippocampus following lesion of the lateral fimbria and (b) nucleus basalis magnocellularis following cortical lesion; GM1-CH3 showed marginal activity in (a) but more in (b), possibly owing to slow hydrolysis to GM1 which was highly active in both animal models. These results indicate the necessity of a negative change on the ganglioside molecule for in vivo but not in vitro activity and point to different mechanisms for the trophic effects of exogenous gangliosides.

Accumulation of arachidonic acid cyclo- and lipoxygenase products in rat brain during ischemia and reperfusion: effects of treatment with GM1-lactone

The aim of our study was to investigate the changes of various biochemical parameters (concentrations of lactate, free arachidonate, cyclo- and lipoxygenase products) in rat brain after ischemia and reperfusion and the effects of pretreatment with the ganglioside derivative GM1-lactone on the same parameters. Ischemia was induced by reversible occlusion of common carotid arteries for 20 min, which included a final 5 min of respiration of 5% oxygen in nitrogen. Reperfusion was obtained by removing the occlusion. Pre-ischemic conditions were obtained on sham-operated animals. Animals were killed by microwave irradiation of their heads. Brain levels of lactate and of free arachidonate were markedly increased after ischemia and returned to normal values at 5 min of reperfusion. Levels of the cyclooxygenase metabolites prostaglandin F2 alpha, 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha, and thromboxane B2 were increased after ischemia, whereas levels of the lipoxygenase metabolite leukotriene C4 (LTC4) did not change. After reperfusion, a very marked increase of the cyclooxygenase products occurred but not of LTC4. Treatment with GM1-lactone prevented the elevation of cyclo- and lipoxygenase metabolites especially during reperfusion, with limited effects on lactate and free arachidonate levels.

Behavioural and morphological changes following treatment with GM-1 ganglioside of rats with an electrolytic lesion of the substantia nigra

The effects of daily treatment with GM-1 ganglioside (30 mg/kg i.p.) or saline (1 ml/kg i.p.) in rats with discrete unilateral electrolytic lesions of the dorsal substantia nigra were investigated. Treatment with GM-1 ganglioside, beginning 3 days prior to surgery and continuing for 33 days post-operatively, caused reductions in the total ipsilateral turns and peak turning rates induced by apomorphine (0.75 mg/kg s.c.) between 7 and 31 days post-operatively, without altering the time course of the effect of apomorphine. No effects of GM-1 on lesion-induced changes in synaptosomal uptake of [3H]dopamine, dopamine, serotonin in the striatum or corresponding levels of metabolites were found. Treatment with GM-1 ganglioside had no effect on the rostrocaudal extent of the electrolytic lesion, but caused morphological changes at the site of the lesion, including a reduction in the density of glial cells. Treatment with GM-1 ganglioside resulted in a relative preservation of cell bodies, staining immunocytochemically for tyrosine hydroxylase, in the substantia nigra pars compacta (expressed as a percentage of the intact side), when compared with saline-treated rats. The results showed that GM-1 ganglioside promoted a partial functional recovery from apomorphine-induced circling, which may be due in part to a reduction in the extent of damage at the lesion site.

Ganglioside treatment: reduction of CNS injury and facilitation of functional recovery

Increased attention has focused on the use of brain gangliosides as a treatment for brain injury. This review traces the progression of in vitro and in vivo research which led to studies which have demonstrated that ganglioside treatment can facilitate recovery after CNS damage in animal models (for example, lesions, transections, hypoxia, ischemia). Hypotheses regarding the ability of gangliosides to stimulate neuronal plasticity, modulate trophic factors and reduce injury processes are presented.

Recovery of cortical acetylcholine output after ganglioside treatment in rats with lesion of the nucleus basalis

The changes in acetylcholine release from the cerebral cortex induced by a unilateral electrolytic lesion of the nucleus basalis and by a treatment with GM1 monosialoganglioside (30 mg/kg i.p. for 20 days) were investigated. Acetylcholine release was measured using the cortical cup technique in rats transected at midpontine level. In the lesioned rats treated with saline an ipsilateral 38% decrease in acetylcholine release was observed. GM1 treatment prevented the decrease and brought about a 30% contralateral increase. These results indicate that GM1 induces a functional recovery of the cholinergic neurons ascending to the cortex.

Gangliosides (GM1 and AGF2) reduce mortality due to ischemia: protection of membrane function

As evidenced by their ability to reduce cerebral edema, exogenous ganglioside administration exerts acute effects on CNS injury processes. We report here that ganglioside (GM1 or AGF2) treatment results in a 52% decrease in mortality 48 hours after the induction of ischemia in gerbils by permanent unilateral ligation of the common carotid artery. By comparing the occluded vs. nonoccluded sides of the brain (cortex and hippocampus) we found a significant loss of membrane Na, K-ATPase activity due to ischemia in control animals, but no such differences were found between the hemispheres of ganglioside-treated gerbils. We hypothesize that gangliosides may be "protecting" membrane function as indicated by these ATPase analyses, reducing local CNS damage at the time of injury (i.e., reduced cell loss, fiber degeneration, membrane failure). By acutely limiting the extent of CNS tissue damage, conditions may be optimized for any subsequent CNS regrowth and functional recovery.

High affinity binding of [3H]-tyramine in the central nervous system

Optimum assay conditions for the association of [3H]-para-tyramine [( 3H]-pTA) with rat brain membranes were characterized, and a saturable, reversible, drug-specific, and high affinity binding mechanism for this trace amine was revealed. The binding capacity (Bmax) for [3H]-pTA in the corpus striatum was approximately 30 times higher than that in the cerebellum, with similar dissociation constants (KD). The binding process of [3H]-pTA involved the dopamine system, inasmuch as (a) highest binding capacity was associated with dopamine-rich regions; (b) dopamine and pTA equally displaced specifically bound [3H]-pTA; (c) there was a severe loss in striatal binding capacity for [3H]-pTA and, reportedly, for [3H]-dopamine, following unilateral nigrostriatal lesion; (d) acute in vivo reserpine treatment markedly decreased the density of [3H]-pTA and, reportedly, of [3H]-dopamine binding sites. In competition experiments [3H]-pTA binding sites, though displaying nanomolar affinity for dopamine, revealed micromolar affinities for the dopamine agonists apomorphine and pergolide, and for several dopamine antagonists, while having very high affinity for reserpine, a marker for the catecholamine transporter in synaptic vesicles. The binding process of [3H]-pTA was both energy-dependent (ouabain-sensitive), and ATP-Mg2+-insensitive; furthermore, the potencies of various drugs in competing for [3H]-pTA binding to rat striatal membranes correlated well (r = 0.96) with their reported potencies in inhibiting [3H]-dopamine uptake into striatal synaptosomes. It is concluded that [3H]-pTA binds at a site located on/within synaptic vesicles where it is involved in the transport mechanism of dopamine.