GM1 ganglioside administration protects spinal neurons after glutamate excitotoxicity

Injury of the nervous system initiates a cascade of signal transduction inc luding a rise in extracellular glutamate which leads to subsequent secondar y neuronal loss. Excitotoxicity is known to play a crucial role in cell dea th during spinal cord trauma. Gangliosides, particularly monosialogangliosi des (GM1), are protective against various neurological insults, including e xcitotoxicity. Gangliosides may improve outcome following human spinal cord injury in humans. To further explore the relationship between excitotoxici ty and GM1, dissociated murine spinal cord preparations were exposed to glu tamate (0.5 mM) with the subsequent administration of GM1 (80 mu M) at 8 an d 13 days in culture. The addition of GM1 30 minutes after exposure to glut amate significantly reduced neuronal damage and preserved membrane structur e and integrity. These results demonstrate that post-treatment with GM1 gan gliosides after glutamate-induced excitotoxicity is effective in protecting spinal cord neurons.