Ganglioside treatments reduce locomotor hyperactivity after bilateral lesions of the entorhinal cortex.

The present study evaluated the effects of exogenous gangliosides (membrane glycolipids) on open-field locomotor activity after bilateral lesions of the entorhinal cortex. Saline-treated rats showed a dramatic increase in activity followed by a time-dependent recovery (i.e. return toward control levels). Ganglioside-treated (50 mg/kg total gangliosides; i.m.) rats exhibited a similar pattern of changes in activity, except that their level of hyperactivity at 2-6 days postlesion was reduced. Thus, exogenous gangliosides lessened the severity of the lesion-induced hyperactivity, but did not enhance the total net recovery.