COCAINE EXPOSURE INDUCES CHANGES IN THE GANGLIOSIDE CONTENT OF RAT-LIVER

During cocaine exposure, the liver undergoes significant morphological and biochemical changes. We report here changes in the ganglioside pa ttern of rat liver after repeated administration (over 5 hours, one in jection per hour) of a moderate dose of cocaine (10mg/kg body weight). Cocaine exposure results in an accumulation of more complex gangliosi des (G(M1), G(D1a), G(D1b), G(T1b) and G(Q1b)) and a reduction of prec ursors (G(M3), G(M2), G(D3) and G(D2)). Our results suggest that gangl ioside biosynthesis could be affected by an alteration of vesicular tr ansport from cis- to trans-Golgi cisternae produced either by cocaine itself or by some product of cocaine metabolism.