GANGLIOSIDES MINIMIZE MOTOR DISABILITIES AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN CORTICAL LESIONED AND TRANSPLANTED RATS

Citation
Jd. Garcia et al., GANGLIOSIDES MINIMIZE MOTOR DISABILITIES AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN CORTICAL LESIONED AND TRANSPLANTED RATS, Archives of medical research, 27(4), 1996, pp. 465-471
Citations number
46
Categorie Soggetti
Medicine, Research & Experimental
ISSN journal
01884409
Volume
27
Issue
4
Year of publication
1996
Pages
465 - 471
Database
ISI
SICI code
0188-4409(1996)27:4<465:GMMDAH>2.0.ZU;2-8
Abstract
The effect of bovine brain gangliosides was studied in rats lesioned b y partial suction of the right somatosensory cortex and also in rats i mplanted with a piece of fetal brain tissue in this area. In both expe riments a group of animals received 30 mg/kg i.p. of gangliosides dail y for a period of 7 days after surgery. In lesioned rats, the untreate d group showed a lower maintenance on a tight rope test at 7 as well a s at 14 days, as compared with a sham-operated group (p < 0.05). In tr ansplanted rats ganglioside treatment prevented the increase of the pr obability of falls from a horizontal bar at days 7 and 14 post-operati on and the probability of slips on a vertical bar at day 7 (p < 0.05). Rats were killed at day 15 and brain coronal sections were obtained. Nuclear area and circularity were measured in a sample of cortical and grafted cells in a computer aid-image analyzer. Ganglioside protectio n on the normal size and shape of the nuclei in the ipsilateral cortex in lesioned as well as in transplanted rats (p < 0.01) was found. A h igher nuclear area in ganglioside than in saline treated grafts was no ted. Results suggest a protective action of the gangliosides against t he lesion-induced motor dysfunction and secondary cortical cell degene ration.