GM1 GANGLIOSIDE TREATMENT PROTECTS AGAINST LONG-TERM NEUROTOXIC EFFECTS OF NEONATAL X-IRRADIATION ON CEREBELLAR CORTEX CYTOARCHITECTURE AND MOTOR FUNCTION.

GUELMAN, L. R.; ZORRILLA ZUBILETE, M. A; RIOS, H; DOPICO, A. M; ZIEHER, L. M.

BRAIN RESEARCH

Elsevier

Año: 2000 vol. 858 p. 303 - 311

0006-8993

Exposure of neonatal rats to a 5 Gy dose of X-irradiation induces permanent abnormalities in cerebellar cortex cytoarchitecture? .? . disarrangement of Purkinje cells, reduction of thickness of granular cortex and neurochemistry late increase in noradrenaline levels ,and motor function ataxic gait . The neuroprotective effects of gangliosides have been demonstrated using a variety of CNS injuries, ? .including mechanical, electrolytic, neurotoxic, ischemic, and surgical lesions. Here, we evaluated whether systemically administered GM1ganglioside protects against the long-term CNS abnormalities induced by a single exposure to ionizing radiation in the early post-natalperiod. Thus, neonatal rats were exposed to 5 Gy X-irradiation, and subcutaneously injected with one dose 30 mg ? . rkg weight of GM1on h after exposure followed by three daily doses. Both at post-natal days 30 and 90, gait and cerebellar cytoarchitecture in X-irradiatedrats were significantly impaired when compared to age-matched controls. By contrast, both at post-natal days 30 and 90, gait inX-irradiated rats that were treated with GM1 was not significantly different from that in non-irradiated animals. Furthermore, at post-natalday 90, cerebellar cytoarchitecture was still well preserved in GM1-treated, X-irradiated animals. GM1 failed to modify the radiation-inducedincrease in cerebellar noradrenaline levels. Present data indicate that exogenous GM1, repeatedly administered after neonatalX-irradiation, produces a long-term radioprotection, demonstrated at both cytoarchitectural and motor levels.