title: Effects of long-term ganglioside GM1 administration on a new discriminative avoidance test in normal adult mice.
abstract: The beneficial effects of monosialoganglioside GM1 (GM1) on learning and memory have been detected mostly in animals presenting genetic, lesion-induced or age-related memory deficits. The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of GM1 on the discriminative avoidance behavior of normal adult mice. EPM-M1 male mice were treated daily IP with 50 mg/kg GM1 or saline for 14 days. The discriminative avoidance conditioning was performed on day 15 in a modified elevated plus-maze. In one of the enclosed arms, the animals received aversive stimulation (light and noise). Tests were performed on days 20, 25 and 30 (tests 1, 2 and 3). The time the animals spent in each of the enclosed arms was recorded. In tests 1 and 2, GM1-treated mice spent less time in the aversive arm in comparison to the non-aversive enclosed arm. On the other hand, control animals spent a shorter time in a aversive arm only in test 1. The results suggest that the beneficial effects of GM1 on learning and memory can be observed in normal animals as well.
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Bellot
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Vital
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Frussa-Filho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005732:Gangliosides