Ganglioside Content and
Composition in Rat Cerebellum After Prolonged Diazepam Treatment
S. R. DE LUKA, S. PROTIC, S.
VRBAŠKI
Department of Neuropharmacology, Institute for
Medical Research, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Received March 5, 1998
Accepted January 11, 1999
Summary
The main purpose of this study was to determine the content and
composition of cerebellar gangliosides after prolonged diazepam
treatment and their possible recovery after diazepam withdrawal.
Male Wistar rats were administered diazepam in a dose of 10
mg/kg/day in drinking water for 3, 5 or 6 months. A additional
group of rats had a one-month recovery period after five months
of diazepam treatment. Control animals were age-matched and
pair-fed. At the end of the experiment, the animals were
sacrificed and the total cerebellar contents of
ganglioside-NeuAc as well as its content in particular
ganglioside fractions were estimated. After three months of
diazepam consumption, no changes of ganglioside-NeuAc in
investigated fractions (GQ1b, GT1b, GD1b, GD1a, GM1, GM2, and
GM3) were observed. Five months of diazepam treatment caused a
significant decrease in the total amount of gangliosides, which
was evident in most of the investigated fractions, with the
exception of the monosialoganglioside GM2. Six months of
treatment induced a generalized decrease in all the investigated
ganglioside fractions. The diazepam-induced ganglioside
reduction found after five months of treatment was also present
after a one-month recovery period. The only fraction ,which
recovered and reached its control value ,was
monosialoganglioside GM3.
Key words
Cerebellum · Ganglioside · Diazepam · Recovery · Rat
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