Differential expression patterns of gangliosides in the ischemic cerebral cortex produced by middle cerebral artery occlusion.
Neuronal damage subsequent to transient cerebral ischemia is a multifactorial process involving several overlapping mechanisms. Gangliosides, sialic acid-conjugated glycosphingolipids, reduce the severity of acute brain damage in vitro. However their in vivo effects on the cerebral cortex damaged by ischemic infarct are unknown. To assess the possible protective role of gangliosides we examined their expression in the cerebral cortex damaged by ischemic infarct in the rat. Ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion, and the resulting damage was observed by staining with 2, 3, 5-triphenylterazolium chloride (TTC). High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) showed that gangliosides GM3 and GM1 increased in the damaged cerebral cortex, and immunofluorescence microscopy also revealed a significant change in expression of GM1. In addition, in situ hybridization demonstrated an increase in the mRNA for ganglioside GM3 synthase. These results suggest that gangliosides GM1 and GM3 may be synthesized in vivo to protect the cerebral cortex from ischemic damage.
Kwak
Dong Hoon
DH
Department of Biological Science, College of Natural Sciences, Wonkwang University, Iksan 570-749, Korea.
Kim
Sung Min
SM
Lee
Dea Hoon
DH
Kim
Ji Su
JS
Kim
Sun Mi
SM
Lee
Seo Ul
SU
Jung
Kyu Yong
KY
Seo
Byoung Boo
BB
Choo
Young Kug
YK
D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside / Q000378:metabolism*; D005679:G(M3) Ganglioside / Q000378:metabolism*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012799:Sialyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts
D005679:G(M3) Ganglioside; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside; C009591:triphenyltetrazolium; D012799:Sialyltransferases; C021343:haematoside synthetase