Investigations on the incorporation of a tritiated ganglioside, GM1, in the injured and intact sciatic nerves of the rat.

Abstract

Following injury of their left sciatic nerves by means of a standardized procedure, male rats received intravenous injections of a tritiated ganglioside. GM1, on different days during the process of regeneration. The rats were killed at two different times after the injection and the concentrations of the total radioactivity, nonvolatile radioactivity, and labelled GM1 were estimated in six segments of the crushed and intact sciatic nerves. The segments of the damaged nerves showed higher concentrations of radioactivity and a higher content of GM1 than the corresponding segments of the contralateral nerves. Within the immediate area of the lesion the highest levels were found on the 3rd and 6th days after the injury; the segments distal from the lesion showed the highest levels of activity on days 9 and 12. The nerve segments proximal to the site of the injury showed a low rate of radioactivity incorporation. The higher concentrations of [3H]GM1 in damaged nerves as well as the rate of incorporation as a function of time indicate that exogenous gangliosides may be involved in the processes of regeneration and have a bearing on the latter.