Total gangliosides, ganglioside species and the activity of neuraminidase in different brain regions and spinal cord of normal and undernourished rats.

Total gangliosides, their concentrations and the distribution of individual ganglioside species were determined in the spinal cord, pons-medulla, midbrain, cerebellum, hypothalamus, cerebral cortex, olfactory lobes and the rest of the forebrain, of 18- and 33-day-old normal and food-restricted and rehabilitated rats. The activity of neuraminidase in the different regions of the brain and spinal cord was determined. Differences in total gangliosides as well as individual species in different regions of the brain were observed. Among brain regions, while total ganglioside content was significantly reduced in the case of the cerebellum, the hypothalamus was the most affected in the distribution of ganglioside species and the activity of neuraminidase was decreased. The significance of the distribution of ganglioside species in different brain regions in relation to the activity of neuraminidase is discussed.