202

PRfEELTION OF HI~AL SLIC~S FR3M ~IC I~I'4~/PION BY GANG~IOSIDES AND ~ SUBSTANCES

C. ME~, K.H. REIDr W. OL~ and ~ _ _ ~ , Laboratory of Cellular ~roscience, Unlve~ity of ~i~-~ille School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40292, U.S.A.

A mixture of bovine brain gangliosides containing GMI 19%, GDIa 43%, GDIb 15% and GTIb 20% was tested as a protectant against hy~ic da~ using the CA1 population response as the assay (Brain Res. 302: 387-391, 1984; ibid. 421: 135- 139, 1987). This mixture at a concentration of 250 ~g/ml in the bathing medium provided excellent protection (recovery after 15 rain hypoxic e.~x~sure 34/35 with ganglioside treatmmnt, 9/33 without; p<0.001). The histological analysis of this protective effect is now in progress. To determine whether the ganglioside moiety was essential, sialic acid ~ms tested as a control. Sialic acid at 250 ~g/ml did not protect synaptic function a ~ hypoxia.

These results confirm earlier re~x)rts (Brain Res. 364- 400-404, 1986; Soc. Neurosci. Abst. 12- 1401, 1986) of protection by ganglioside treatment. In addition we have demonstrated that the protection is not due to the sialic acid component.