Changes of brain gangliosides in the frontal cortex of rats chronically treated with amphetamine, clozapine, haloperidol and ethanol.

Rats were injected intraperitoneally daily for 20 days with amphetamine, haloperidol, clozapine and ethanol to investigate the participation of gangliosides in the reactivity of the brain to these drugs. All of these substances are able to modulate the ganglioside pattern of the frontal cortex. The major changes were observed after amphetamine and clozapine treatment. In both cases, GQ1b was significantly increased, whereas GM2 and GM3 were significantly diminished. Moreover, GD1a (after amphetamine) and GM1 (after clozapine) were decreased with respect to the controls. After haloperidol treatment both GQ1b and GT1b augmented, while after ethanol, only GM3 was increased.