Immunochemical characterization of mouse brain-associated theta (Thy-1) antigen.

The Thy-1 antigens or rat brain and thymus have been isolated and chemically characterized, but those of mice have not been identified. Moreover, it is uncertain whether the antigens are glycolipids or glycoproteins. This study with highly purified preparations of gangliosides GM₁, ¹GD_1a, GD_1b and GT_1b from bovine brain and several ganglioside fractions from mouse brain showed that Thy-1 activity does not reside in gangliosides, but rather in the chloroform-methanol-insoluble residue of brain remaining after extraction of gangliosides. The antigen could be solubilized from this residue with a non-ionic detergent. The antigenic activity of the solubilized preparation was heat-labile but resistant to periodate. The chemical properties of the Thy-1 antigen of mouse brain are discussed.     

Ganglioside expression in tissues of mice lacking beta2-microglobulin

This study presents a comparative analysis of gangliosides from lymphoid (spleen and thymus) and other (brain, liver, lungs and muscle) tissues of C57BL/6 mice lacking the gene for beta2-microglobulin (beta2M), a constitutive component of the MHC class I molecule. Ganglioside fractions in the tissues of mice homozygous (beta2M-/-) and heterozygous (beta2M-/+) for the gene deletion were determined by high performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), followed by immunostaining with specific polyclonal antibodies. Ubiquitous gangliosides GM3(Neu5Ac) and GM3(Neu5Gc) were the dominant gangliosides in the lungs of the control beta2M-/+ mice, whereas the homozygous knockout mice had substantially decreased expression of these structures. The lungs of the beta2M-/- mice also had reduced expression of T-lymphocyte-specific GM1b-type gangliosides (GM1b and GalNAc-GM1b). beta2M-deficient mice also had more GM1a and GD1a gangliosides in the liver, and several neolacto-series gangliosides were increased in the brain and lungs. This study provides in vivo evidence that the beta2M molecule can influence the acquisition of a distinct ganglioside assembly in different mouse organs, implicating its non-immunological functions.     

β-淀粉样蛋白对培养神经细胞的毒性作用及神经节苷脂的保护作用

向培养液中加入15mmol／L的β-AP1-40，48h后，发现原代培养的海马细胞内Ca2+的浓度明显增高，对照组为23．9±3．6（n=51）而β-AP组为36．5±15．8（n=30），两组比较P＜0．001，有非常显著性的差别。对照组的乳酸脱氢酶没有明显变化，而β－AP组在加β－AP1－4048h后乳酸脱氢酶明显增加，从52iu／L增加到105iu／L，实增加了101％。实验结果表明，β－AP1-40对培养的神经细胞有明显的毒性作用，但没有发现形态学的变化和对细胞的特异性。如在培养液中加β－AP1-40的同时再加25mg／ml的神经节苷脂（GAs）可明显减弱β-AP1-40引发的胞内Ca2+浓度和培养液中LDH浓度的升高。β-AP＋GAs组胞内Ca2+浓度为27.7±5.58，与β-AP组比较，有显著性差异（P＜0．01）。β-AP组海马细胞培养液中乳酸脱氢酶的浓度增高为101％，而β-AP-GAs组培养液中乳酸脱氢酶的浓度增高仅为67％。在NG108－15细胞上也获得了相同的结果。单唾液酸神经节苷脂虽有与GAs类似的作用，但较弱。这些实验结果指出，神经节苷脂和单唾液酸神经节苷脂均能拮抗β-AP1-40的毒性作用，从而对细胞可起到保护作用。     

神经节苷脂GM1对新生大鼠缺氧缺血性脑病的作用研究

目的 探讨单唾液酸四己糖神经节苷脂（GM1）对新生大鼠缺氧缺血性脑病（HIE）及其后的癫痫发作是否具有保护和预防作用以及可能作用机理，为临床应用GM1治疗HIE提供理论依据。方法 建立新生大鼠HIE模型。用组织化学方法和免疫组织化学方法观察缺氧缺血后脑损害的形态学改变，兴奋性氨基酸Glu阳性（Glu-IR)神经元和抑制性氨基酸GABA阳性（GABA-IR）神经元表达和GM1对上述变化的影响。结果 盐水处理组与GM1治疗组相比病变较重，Glu-IR神经元和GABA-IR神经元数目减少与GMI治疗组差异有显著性意义。结论 GM1能够在一定程度上减轻新生大鼠缺氧拭岂血后病损灶，保护Glu-IR神经元和GABA-IR神经元，尤其是对GABA-IR神经元的保护作用，提示GM1对新生大鼠缺氧缺血后的癫痫发作具有一定的预防作用。但尚需进一步探讨研究。     

单唾液酸四己糖神经节苷脂治疗急性脑梗死随机双盲对照多中心研究

目的:评价国产单唾液酸四己糖神经节苷脂钠注射液(GM1注射液)治疗急性脑梗死的有效性和安全性。方法:本研究采用多中心、随机双盲对照的方法,分别给予试验组(n=67)和对照组(n=70)病人国产和进口GM1注射液100 mg,iv,qd,连续使用14 d。结果:国产及进口GM1注射液对急性脑梗死NIHSS评分及Barthel指数评分治疗前后有显著差异(P<0.05);2组治疗前后NIHSS评分及Barthel指数评分的差值及变化率组间比较无显著差异(P>0.05)。试验组在整个试验过程中没有发生不良反应,实验室检查结果与治疗前及对照组比较没有临床意义。结论:国产GM1注射液对急性脑梗死具有显著的疗效,并且安全性好。     

Protective effects of exogenous gangliosides on ROS-induced changes in human spermatozoa

This article summarizes the available evidence on the efficacy of gangliosides to reduce the degree of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated damage. The antioxidative efficacy of exogenous gangliosides in protecting different cells encouraged us to examine their ability to protect human spermatozoa. Gangliosides are sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids with strong amphiphilic character due to the bulky headgroup made of several sugar rings with sialic acid residues and the double-tailed hydrophobic lipid moiety. The amphiphilicity of gangliosides allows them to exist as micelles in aqueous media when they are present at a concentration above their critical micellar concentration. The protective effect of ganglioside micelles on spermatozoa is believed to stem from their ability to scavenge free radicals and prevent their damaging effects. In our study, we particularly focused our attention on the protective effect of ganglioside micelles on DNA in human spermatozoa exposed to cryopreservation. The results indicate that ganglioside micelles can modulate the hydrophobic properties of the sperm membrane to increase tolerance to DNA fragmentation, thus protecting the DNA from cryopreservation-induced damage. Further actions of ganglioside micelles, which were documented by biochemical and biophysical studies, included (i) the modulation of superoxide anion generation by increasing the diffusion barrier for membrane events responsible for signal translocation to the interior of the cell; (ii) the inhibition of iron-catalysed hydroxyl radical formation due to the iron chelation potential of gangliosides; and (iii) inhibition of hydrogen peroxide diffusion across the sperm membrane.     

Ovariectomy Enhances Acetylcholinesterase Activity But Does Not Alter Ganglioside Content in Cerebral Cortex of Female Adult Rats

In the present work we investigated the effect of ovariectomy on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and ganglioside content in cerebral cortex of female rats. We also studied the activity of butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) in serum of these animals. Adult Wistar rats were divided into three groups: (1) naive females (control), (2) sham-operated females and (3) castrated females (ovariectomy). Thirty days after ovariectomy, rats were sacrificed by decapitation without anaesthesia. Blood was collected and the serum used for BuChE determination. Cerebral cortex was homogenized to determine AChE activity and extracted with chlorophorm:methanol for ganglioside evaluation. Results showed that rats subjected to ovariectomy presented a significant increase of AChE activity, but did not change the content and the profile of gangliosides in cerebral cortex when compared to sham or naive rats. BuChE activity was decreased in serum of rats ovariectomized. Our findings suggest that the alteration in the activity of brain AChE, as well as serum BuChE activity caused by ovariectomy may contribute to the impaired cognition and/or other neurological dysfunction found in post-menopausal women.     

Glycolipid GD3 and GD3 synthase are key drivers for glioblastoma stem cells and tumorigenicity

The cancer stem cells (CSCs) of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a grade IV astrocytoma, have been enriched by the expressed marker CD133. However, recent studies have shown that CD133⁻ cells also possess tumor-initiating potential. By analysis of gangliosides on various cells, we show that ganglioside D3 (GD3) is overexpressed on eight neurospheres and tumor cells; in combination with CD133, the sorted cells exhibit a higher expression of stemness genes and self-renewal potential; and as few as six cells will form neurospheres and 20–30 cells will grow tumor in mice. Furthermore, GD3 synthase (GD3S) is increased in neurospheres and human GBM tissues, but not in normal brain tissues, and suppression of GD3S results in decreased GBM stem cell (GSC)-associated properties. In addition, a GD3 antibody is shown to induce complement-dependent cytotoxicity against cells expressing GD3 and inhibition of GBM tumor growth in vivo. Our results demonstrate that GD3 and GD3S are highly expressed in GSCs, play a key role in glioblastoma tumorigenicity, and are potential therapeutic targets against GBM.Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is extremely infiltrative and difficult to treat, and most patients develop recurrence after therapy. Over the past decade, many studies have suggested that bulk GBM tumors harbor cancer stem cells (CSCs) (1, 2), a distinct subpopulation of cancer cells that are able to initiate new tumors efficiently, have long-term self-renewal capacity, and survive better against chemo- or radiotherapy (2–4). CD133 has become a widely used marker for the enrichment of GBM CSCs (GSCs) and other tumor types (5–10). However, recent studies have shown that CD133 is not specific for GSCs because CD133⁻ cells also possess tumor-initiating potential (11–13), indicating the need to identify more specific and exclusive markers for GSCs to facilitate our understanding of GSCs and therapeutic development against GBM. Several reports have proposed L1CAM, A2B5, integrin α6, MET, and CD15 as markers for GSCs (14–18). However, none of these protein markers could be used specifically to identify GSCs, and no study was reported with respect to glycans as potential markers, although glycan biosynthesis involves multiple genes and it is possible to create different structures in cancer progression. It is noted that ganglioside D2 (GD2) and ganglioside D3 (GD3) were found on the surface of neural stem cells (NSCs) and that stage-specific embryonic antigen 3 (SSEA3) and SSEA4 were found on embryonic stem cells and cancer cells (19–21), but there is no glycan marker found on the surface of GSCs.Gangliosides are sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids (GSLs) that are most abundant in the nervous system (22). The expression levels and patterns of gangliosides during brain development shift from simple gangliosides, such as GM3 and GD3, to complex gangliosides, such as GM1, GD1a, GD1b, and GT1b (23, 24). Moreover, several unique ganglioside markers, including SSEA3, SSEA4, GD2, and GD3, have been identified in stem cells (19). GD3, a b-series ganglioside containing two sialic acids, is highly expressed in mouse and human embryonic NSCs (20, 25). In cancers, GD3 is highly accumulated in human primary melanoma tissues as well as in established melanoma cell lines (26), whereas human normal melanocytes express no or minimal levels of GD3 (27). Moreover, malignant gliomas contain higher levels of GD3, and its expression correlates with the degree of malignancy (28). GD3 is produced from the precursor GM3 by the activity of GD3 synthase (GD3S), which mediates the properties of CSCs through the c-MET signaling pathway and correlates with poor prognosis in triple-negative human breast tumors (29). These findings suggest that GD3 may play an important role in the transformation of normal cells into tumors, and imply that GD3 could be a cell surface marker for GSCs.This study was designed to identify glycan markers for the enrichment of GBM stem cells and then uses these enriched GBM stem cells to characterize tumorigenicity, their association with clinical GBM specimens, and their regulation in tumor progression. The results showed that GD2 and GD3 were positively stained on GBM neurospheres. We found that cells with high GD3 expression display functional characteristics of GSCs. Suppression of GD3S, a critical enzyme for GD3 synthesis, impeded neurosphere formation and tumor initiation. The expression of GD3S correlated with the grades of astrocytomas and mediated self-renewal through c-Met activation. Furthermore, a GD3 antibody was found to eliminate the GD3⁺ cells through complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) in vitro and to suppress tumor growth in mice. These results suggest that GD3 could be a significant biomarker for GSCs, that CD3 could be combined with CD133 for the enrichment of GSCs, and that both GD3 and GD3S could be targets for the development of new therapies against GBM.     

Deficits in cognitive function and hippocampal plasticity in GM2/GD2 synthase knockout mice

In this study, we used GM2/GD2 synthase knockout (GM2/GD2^?/?) mice to examine the influence of deficiency in ganglioside “a‐pathway” and “b‐pathway” on cognitive performances and hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Eight‐week‐old GM2/GD2^?/? male mice showed a longer escape‐latency in Morris water maze test and a shorter latency in step‐down inhibitory avoidance task than wild‐type (WT) mice. Schaffer collateral‐CA1 synapses in the hippocampal slices from GM2/GD2^?/? mice showed an increase in the slope of EPSPs with reduced paired‐pulse facilitation, indicating an enhancement of their presynaptic glutamate release. In GM2/GD2^?/? mice, NMDA receptor (NMDAr)‐dependent LTP could not be induced by high‐frequency (100–200 Hz) tetanus or θ‐burst conditioning stimulation (CS), whereas NMDAr‐independent LTP was induced by medium‐frequency CS (20–50 Hz). The application of mono‐sialoganglioside GM1 in the slice from GM2/GD2^?/? mice, to specifically recover the a‐pathway, prevented the increased presynaptic glutamate release and 20 Hz‐LTP induction, whereas it could not rescue the impaired NMDAr‐dependent LTP. These findings suggest that b‐pathway deficiency impairs cognitive function probably through suppression of NMDAr‐dependent LTP, while a‐pathway deficiency may facilitate NMDAr‐independent LTP through enhancing presynaptic glutamate release. As both of the NMDAr‐independent LTP and increased presynaptic glutamate release were sensitive to the blockade of L‐type voltage‐gated Ca²⁺ channels (L‐VGCC), a‐pathway deficiency may affect presynaptic L‐VGCC. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

人脐血间充质干细胞移植与神经节苷脂注射治疗脑瘫大鼠的对比研究

目的：建立稳定的人脐血间充质干细胞（mesenchymal stem cells,MSCs）分离培养体系,观察其移植对脑瘫(CP)大鼠功能恢复的影响及细胞的存活、迁移、向神经细胞分化的情况,并与神经节苷脂（GM1）注射对CP鼠神经功能恢复进行对比。方法：采集足月新生儿脐带血100ml,分离出单个核细胞,体外培养并予5 溴脱氧嘧啶尿苷（Brdu）标记72h;受孕17d孕鼠腹腔注射脂多糖（LPS）0.4mg/(kg·d),12h后置于缺氧环境2～2.5h,4h后再次腹腔注射同剂量LPS,孕鼠自体分娩,生后4周,通过行为学评分选择CP模型动物80只,随机分为4组：CP组（CP模型）、假移植组（CP模型+PBS）、MSCs移植组（CP模型+MSCs）、GM1注射组（CP模型+GM1）,每组20只。移植后第1、2、3周应用免疫荧光法观察Brdu标记的MSCs的存活、迁移,移植后第4周,通过行为学评价观察大鼠神经功能恢复情况,应用免疫荧光法检测其胶质纤维酸性蛋白(GFAP)和神经元特异性烯醇化酶（NSE）的表达情况。结果：MSCs移植比GM1注射使大鼠握持时间更长,足错误次数更少(P<0.05);移植的MSCs可在大鼠脑组织中存活, 并向四周脑组织迁移, (0.45±0.68)个MSCs表达GFAP,(0.15±0.36)个MSCs表达NSE。结论：人脐血MSCs移植比神经节苷脂注射较好的提高CP大鼠神经功能的恢复, 移植细胞可在大鼠脑缺血区域中存活、迁移,并部分向星形胶质细胞或神经元分化。