Failure of gm1 ganglioside to influence outcome in experimental focal ischemia

Background and Purpose: Reports of improved short-term (<72 hours) outcome in experimental models of mechanical and ischemic central nervous system injury suggest that exogenous ganglioside administration may confer a protective effect on neural tissue. We studied the effect of the monosialoganglioside GM1 on cerebral infarction and edema in spontaneously hypertensive rats subjected to permanent focal cerebral ischemia. Methods: GM1 or normal saline was injected intramuscularly once a day for 3 days before and 30 and 120 minutes after occlusion of the right middle and common carotid arteries. Following a 24-hour survival period, the volume of infarction was measured by computer-assisted image analysis, and the extent of edema was assessed by measurements of tissue water content and hemispheric volume. Results: Infarct volume was similar among the GM1-treated (n = 10) and saline-treated (n = 10) rats (212±10 versus 220±13 μl, respectively). In a second series of experiments, the brain water content and edema volume of the ischemic right hemisphere in GM1-treated rats (n = 10) did not differ from saline-treated controls (n = 10). Conclusions: GM1 ganglioside does not effectively reduce cerebral infarction caused by permanent focal ischemia.