Abstract
Objective: To examine the distribution of gangliosides in human cervical and lumbar spinal cord.
Setting: Magdeburg, Germany.
Methods: The ganglioside distribution of human cervical and lumbar spinal cord enlargements from 10 neurological normal patients was analyzed. Gangliosides were isolated from different areas corresponding to the columna anterior, columna lateralis and columna posterior.
Results: Ganglioside GfD1b/GD1b and GD3 were the most abundant gangliosides in all examined tissues. The total concentration of sialic acid bound gangliosides GM2 and GM3 was less than 5%. The GD3 fraction constantly consisted of a double band as assessed by TLC after lipid extraction. There were significant differences in the ganglioside distribution when comparing tissue from the columna anterior, columna lateralis and columna posterior of the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord.
Conclusion: Differences in the ganglioside composition in human spinal cord regions may reflect the different function of those molecules in the two regions investigated.
Spinal Cord (2001) 39, 628–632.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Ando S . Gangliosides in the nervous system Neurochem Int 1983 5: 507–537
Ando S, Chang NC, Yu RK . High performance thin layer chromatography and densitometric determination of brain ganglioside compositions of several species Anal Biochem 1978 89: 437–450
Benzel EC. Larson SJ . Functional recovery after decompressive spine operation for cervical spine fractures Neurosurgery 1987 20: 742–746
Dawson G, Stefansson K . Gangliosides of human spinal cord: aberrant composition of cords from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis J Neurosci Res 1984 12: 213–220
Dawson TM, Hung K, Dawson VL, Steiner JP, Snyder SH . Neuroprotective effects of gangliosides may involve inhibition of nitric oxide synthase Ann Neurol 1995 37: 115–118
Di Gregorio F et al. The influence of gangliosides on neurite growth and regeneration Neuropediatrics 1984 15: Suppl 93–96
Faden AI . Pharmacological treatment of central nervous system trauma Pharmacol Toxicol 1996 78: 12–17
Folch J, Lees M, Stanley GH . A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipids from animal tissues J Biol Chem 1957 226: 497–509
Fredman P, Nilsson O, Tayot JL, Svennerholm L . Separation of gangliosides on a new type of anion-exchange resin Biochim Biophys Acta 1980 618: 42–52
Geisler FH . Acute management of cervical spinal cord injury Md Med J 1988 37: 525–530
Geisler FH, Dorsey FC, Coleman WP . Recovery of motor function after spinal-cord injury - a randomized, placebo-controlled trial with GM-1 ganglioside N Engl J Med 1991 324: 1829–1838
Geisler FH . Clinical trials of pharmacotherapy for spinal cord injury Ann NY Acad Sci 1998 845: 374–381
Gorio A et al. GM1 effects on chemical, traumatic and peripheral nerve induce lesions to the spinal cord In Goldberger ME, Gorio A, Murray M (eds): Development and plasticity of the mammalian spinal cord Padua, Liviana Press 1986 3: pp 227–242
Gorio A . Gangliosides as a possible treatment affecting neuronal repair processes Adv Neurol 1988 47: 523–530
Hadjiconstantinou M, Neff NH . Treatment with GM1 ganglioside increases rat spinal cord indole content Brain Res 1986 366: 343–345
Kozireski-Chuback D, Wu G, Ledeen RW . Developmental appearance of nuclear GM1 in neurons of the central and peripheral nervous systems Brain Res Dev Brain Res 1999 115: 201–208
Ledeen, RW . Ganglioside structures and distribution: are they localized at the nerve ending? J Supramol Struc 1978 8: 1–17
Ledeen RW, Yu RK, Eng LF . Gangliosides of human myelin sialosylgalactosyl ceramid (G7) as a major component J Neurochem 1973 21: 829–839
Meier C . Some observations on early myelination in the human spinal cord. Light and electron microscope study Brain Res 1976 104: 21–32
Norton WT, Abe T, Poduslo SE, DeVries GH . The lipid composition of isolated brain cells and axons J Neurosci Res 1975 1: 57–75
Ogawa-Goto K, Funamoto N, Abe T, Nagashima K . Different ceramide compositions of gangliosides between human motor cortex and sensory nerves J Neurochem 1992 55: 1486–1493
Ogawa-Goto K et al . Myelin gangliosides of human peripheral nervous system: an enrichment of GM1 in the motor nerve myelin isolated from cauda equina J Neurochem 1992 59: 1846–1849
Ohtani Y, Tamai Y, Ohnuki Y, Miura S . Ganglioside alterations in the central and peripheral nervous system of patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Neurodegeneration 1996 5: 331–338
Rapport MM et al . Ganglioside patterns in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis brain regions Ann Neurol 1985 18: 60–67
Roisen FJ, Bartfeld H, Nagele R, Yorke G . Gangliosides stimulation of axonal sprouting in vitro Science 1987 214: 577–578
Schneider JS et al . Parkinson's disease: improved function with GM1 ganglioside treatment in a randomized placebo-controlled study Neurology 1992 50: 1630–1636
Silani V et al . Ganglioside GM1 expression during human spinal cord and neural crest development Neuroreport 1993 4: 767–770
Skaper SD, Leon A . Monosialogangliosides, neuroprotection, and neuronal repair processes J Neurotrauma 1992 9: Suppl.2 507–516
Svennerholm L . Quantitative estimation of sialic acid II. Calorimetric resocinol-hydrochloric acid method Biochim Biophys Acta 1957 24: 604–611
Svennerholm L . Chromatographic separation of human brain gangliosides J Neurochem 1963 12: 629–638
Svennerholm L et al . Membrane lipids of human peripheral nerve and spinal cord Biochim Biophys Acta 1992 1128: 1–7
Svennerholm L et al . Gangliosides and allied glycospincolipids in human peripheral nerve and spinal cord Biochim Biophys Acta 1994 1214: 115–123
Tseng EE et al . Monosialoganglioside GM1 inhibits neurotoxicity after hypothermic circulatory arrest Surgery 1998 124: 298–306
Ueno K, Ando S, Yu RK . Gangliosides of human, cat and rabbit spinal cords and cord myelin J Lipid Res 1978 19: 863–871
Vorwerk CK et al . Posttreatment with GM1 ganglioside protects cultured spinal cord cells against glutamate neurotoxicity Restor Neurol Neurosci 1999 14: 47–51
Walsh FS et al . Association between glycoconjugate antibodies and campylobacter infection in patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome J Neuroimmunol 1991 34: 43–51
Yu RK, Ueno K, Glaser GH, Tourtellotte WW . Lipid and protein alterations of spinal cord and cord myelin of multiple sclerosis J Neurochem 1982 39: 464–477
Zaprianova E et al . Ganglioside spinal cord changes in chronic relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis induced in the Lewis rats Neurochem Res 1997 22: 175–179
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vorwerk, C. Ganglioside patterns in human spinal cord. Spinal Cord 39, 628–632 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3101232
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3101232