Ganglioside content and composition in rat cerebellum after prolonged diazepam treatment

The main purpose of this study was to determine the content and composition of cerebellar gangliosides after prolonged diazepam treatment and their possible recovery after diazepam withdrawal. Male Wistar rats were administered diazepam in a dose of 10 mg/kg/day in drinking water for 3, 5 or 6 months. A additional group of rats had a one-month recovery period after five months of diazepam treatment. Control animals were age-matched and pair-fed. At the end of the experiment, the animals were sacrificed and the total cerebellar contents of ganglioside-NeuAc as well as its content in particular ganglioside fractions were estimated. After three months of diazepam consumption, no changes of ganglioside-NeuAc in investigated fractions (G(Q1b), G(T1b), G(D1b), G(D1a), G(M1), G(M2), and G(M3)) were observed. Five months of diazepam treatment caused a significant decrease in the total amount of gangliosides, which was evident in most of the investigated fractions, with the exception of the monosialoganglioside G(M2). Six months of treatment induced a generalized decrease in all the investigated ganglioside fractions. The diazepam-induced ganglioside reduction found after five months of treatment was also present after a one-month recovery period. The only fraction, which recovered and reached its control value, was monosialoganglioside G(M3).