Effect of brain gangliosides on early and late consequences of a transient incomplete forebrain ischemia in the rat

Effects of methylprednisolone and ganglioside GM-1 on a spinal lesion: a functional analysis

OBJECTIVES

The pharmacological effects of methylprednisolone (MP) and ganglioside GM-1 on spinal injuries have been thoroughly investigated, but only a few studies have evaluated the interaction between these two drugs.

METHODS

Twenty-four Wistar rats were subjected to contusive injury of the spinal cord produced by the NYU system. These animals were divided into four groups: group I was injected with MP; group II was injected with GM-1; group III was injected with MP together with GM-1; and group control received physiological serum. The animals were evaluated with regard to their recovery of locomotive function by means of the BBB test on the second, seventh and fourteenth days after receiving the contusive injury to the spinal cord. They were sacrificed on the fourteenth day.

RESULTS

This study demonstrated that the MP and GM-1 groups presented functional results that were better than those of the control group, although the enhanced recovery of group II (GM-1) relative to the control group was not statistically significant (p>0.05). The most notable recovery of locomotive function was observed in the group that received MP alone (p<0.05). The group that received MP together with GM-1 presented results that were better than those of the control group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Administration of methylprednisolone alone or with GM-1 was shown to be effective for recovery of locomotive function. Combined administration of these drugs resulted in better outcomes than administration of methylprednisolone alone.

On the mechanisms underlying histamine induction of gastric mucosal lesions in rats with partial gastric vascular occlusion

Although it is well known that histamine induces gastric mucosal lesions in laboratory animals, the fundamental mechanisms remain unclear. In order to further analyze the vascular mechanisms underlying histamine-induced lesions, a new model was developed in the glandular stomach via administration of histamine (40 mg/kg, s.c.) twice to rats with partial gastric vascular occlusion (ligated left gastric artery and vein) also subjected to pylorus ligation. Both antagonists of histamine H(2)-receptors (roxatidine and famotidine) and H(1)-receptors (epinastine and tripelennamine) significantly inhibited lesion formation at doses that did not inhibit acid secretion. Combined treatment of tripelennamine and famotidine synergistically inhibited lesion formation. Nitro L-arginine methyl ester inhibited lesion development; inhibition was reversed by concomitantly administered L-arginine. Indomethacin, diclofenac, and SC-560 (a selective COX-1 inhibitor), but not rofecoxib (a selective COX-2 inhibitor), significantly inhibited lesion formation. In addition, sodium bicarbonate, pirenzepine, S-0509 (a gastrin/CCK(2) inhibitor), omeprazole, sucralfate, and a prostaglandin analog also significantly inhibited lesion formation. It was concluded that the mechanism by which histamine induces gastric lesions in rats with partial gastric vascular occlusion appears to involve extensive vasodilation resulting from histamine acting on microvasculature histamine H(1)- and H(2)-receptors, generation of endogenous nitric oxide and prostaglandins, with the presence of gastric acid.

The effects of methylprednisolone and the ganglioside GM1 on acute spinal cord injury in rats

Recent clinical trials have reported that methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MP) or the monosialic ganglioside GM1 improves neurological recovery in human spinal cord injury. Because GM1 may have additive or synergistic effects when used with MP, the authors compared MP, GM1, and MP+GM1 treatments in a graded rat spinal cord contusion model. Spinal cord injury was caused by dropping a rod weighing 10 gm from a height of 1.25, 2.5, or 5.0 cm onto the rat spinal cord at T-10, which had been exposed via laminectomy. The lesion volumes were quantified from spinal cord Na and K shifts at 24 hours after injury and the results were verified histologically in separate experiments. A single dose of MP (30 mg/kg), given 5 minutes after injury, reduced 24-hour spinal cord lesion volumes by 56% (p = 0.0052), 28% (p = 0.0065), and 13% (p > 0.05) in the three injury-severity groups, respectively, compared to similarly injured control groups treated with vehicle only. Methylprednisolone also prevented injury-induced hyponatremia and increased body weight loss in the spine-injured rats. When used alone, GM1 (10 to 30 mg/kg) had little or no effect on any measured variable compared to vehicle controls; when given concomitantly with MP, GM1 blocked the neuroprotective effects of MP. At a dose of 3 mg/kg, GM1 partially prevented MP-induced reductions in lesion volumes, while 10 to 30 mg/kg of GM1 completely blocked these effects of MP. The effects of MP on injury-induced hyponatremia and body weight loss were also blocked by GM1. Thus, GM1 antagonized both central and peripheral effects of MP in spine-injured rats. Until this interaction is clarified, the authors recommend that MP and GM1 not be used concomitantly to treat acute human spinal cord injury. Because GM1 modulates protein kinase activity, protein kinases inhibit lipocortins, and lipocortins mediate anti-inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids, it is proposed that the neuroprotective effects of MP are partially due to anti-inflammatory effects and that GM1 antagonizes the effects of MP by inhibiting lipocortin. Possible beneficial effects of GM1 reported in central nervous system injury may be related to the effects on neural recovery rather than acute injury processes.

Disposition of exogenous tritium-labelled GM1lactone in the rat

The disposition of labelled [3H]GM1lactone, the inner ester of ganglioside GM1, was studied in the rat. After i.v. administration [3H]GM1lactone was quickly converted to its corresponding open form most likely by plasma esterases, and then displayed a pharmacokinetic profile identical to [3H]GM1. Following intramuscular administration of [3H]GM1lactone [3H]GM1 levels in plasma and in tissues were higher than those obtained after the administration of an equivalent dose of [3H]GM1. This increased bioavailability means that GM1lactone can be considered as a potential prodrug of GM1.

Siagoside selectively attenuates morphological and functional striatal impairments induced by transient forebrain ischemia in rats

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Transient forebrain ischemia induced in rats by the four-vessel occlusion method is known to produce severe neural damage in the hippocampus and striatum and a behavioral syndrome the major symptom of which is a working memory deficit. Recent evidence suggests that monosialogangliosides can ameliorate postischemic symptoms. Our purpose was to study the effect of siagoside, the inner ester of GM1 ganglioside, on some behavioral and morphological impairments induced by four-vessel occlusion in rats.

METHODS

Rats were injected daily with 5 mg/kg i.p. siagoside starting 4 hours after the cerebral ischemia. After 14 days the rats were tested for working memory in a water T maze or scored for apomorphine-induced stereotypy. The rats were killed 21 days after the cerebral ischemia. Histological and computer-assisted morphometric analyses were performed on cresyl violet-stained brain sections, which were graded according to a neuropathologic score, and on sections stained with a monoclonal antiserum against dopamine and cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate-regulated phosphoprotein, a marker for striatal dopaminoceptive neurons.

RESULTS

Siagoside treatment reduced the stereotypy score induced by low doses of apomorphine and the extent of striatal lesions but did not affect the working memory deficit or the extent of hippocampal lesions.

CONCLUSION

Daily siagoside treatment after acute cerebral ischemia attenuates some morphological and functional deficits related to striatal damage. These effects can be interpreted as a selective protective action on striatal neural populations or as a modulatory action on neural systems involved in striatal control. These data are consistent with preliminary clinical reports showing that monosialogangliosides enhance motor recovery after acute ischemic stroke.

Gangliosides, copper ions and angiogenic capacity of adult tissues

The report summarizes the work of our laboratory aimed at improving the understanding of the angiogenic response of adult tissues, an event that transforms a micro-embolus of neoplastic cells into a growing metastasis. Attention has been focused on tumor-induced angiogenesis. The following aspects of the subject are discussed: (a) relationship between size of vascular network and tumor growth rate or tumor cell population; (b) angiogenic capacity of tumors and role that prostaglandin E1 may have as an angiogenesis factor; (c) relationship between acquisition of angiogenic capacity and neoplastic transformation of a cell population; (d) modification of tissue composition at the onset of angiogenesis; (e) behaviour of copper ions and copper carriers in the course of the angiogenic response; (f) the influence of gangliosides on endothelial cell motility, survival and growth in vitro; (g) modulation of the angiogenic response by gangliosides (GM1, GT1b) in vivo.