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

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.