title: Brain content of glycosphingolipids after oral administration of monosialogangliosides GM1 and LIGA20 to rats.
abstract: Natural (GM1) and semisynthetic [113-Neu-5-AcGgOse4-2-D-erythro-1,3- dihydroxy-2-dichloroacetylamide-4-trans-octadecene (LIGA20)] glycosphingolipids, given parenterally, protect neurones against glutamate-induced death without producing the side effects typical of glutamate receptor antagonists. Chronic glutamate-related neurotoxicity (e.g., in recurring strokes in elderly hypertensive patients, and in Parkinson disease) could be prevented also by glycosphingolipids treatment, but this therapeutic intervention will require a protracted administration of orally active glycosphingolipids. Here we demonstrate that 3-6 h after oral administration of 68 mumol/kg of LIGA20 and GM1 to rats, the brain content of LIGA20 is 50-fold higher than that of GM1. The brain concentration of LIGA20 remains elevated for at least 12-24 h. Because the LIGA20 that reaches the brain is slowly metabolized, repeated oral administrations of this glycosphingolipid can yield to its accumulation in brain, and can yield various brain levels depending on the dose and frequency of drug administration. In contrast this is not possible with GM1, which given orally for 7 d, cannot accumulate in brain in pharmacologically significant concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Fidia-Georgetown Institute for the Neurosciences, Georgetown University Medical School, Washington, DC 20007.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kirschner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guidotti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005971:Glutamates / Q000633:toxicity; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005971:Glutamates; D006028:Glycosphingolipids; D009498:Neurotoxins; C086919:LIGA 20; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D013110:Sphingosine