REGION DISTRIBUTION OF THE GANGLIOSIDES IN RAT-BRAIN AFTER CHRONIC ETHANOL TREATMENT

In this study the effects of chronic ethanol administration on the reg ional distribution of brain gangliosides were investigated. A total of 36 60-d-old male Wistar rats weighing approximately 200 g was divided into two groups of 18 animals each. The ethanol-consuming group was o ffered drinking fluid (25% sucrose-32% ethyl alcohol, w/w) ad libitum, and the control group was given a sucrose solution isocaloric with th e ethanol-sucrose solution. After 6 mo of chronic ethanol treatment, c erebral cortex, N. caudatus, hypothalamus, thalamus, and hippocampus w ere analyzed with respect to their ganglioside pattern (G(M2), G(M1), G(D1a), G(D1b), G(T1b), and G(Q)). The results showed that there were highly significant effects of ethanol on hypothalamus G(D1b) and G(T1b ), thalamus G(M1) and G(D1a), and hippocampus G(M1), G(D1b), and G(T1b ) ganglioside distribution. It was found that ethanol differently affe cted the gangliosides in these brain regions.