Ganglioside levels in hypoxic brains from neonatal and premature infants

In this study, 13 cases of newborn term-gestational infants and six cases of premature infants who died of hypoxia were selected for the determination of ganglioside levels in several regions of brains obtained at autopsy. Cases were divided into three groups according to the hypoxic interval and gestational age: Group A, six cases of newborn infants. The average time of hypoxia was 6.4 h. Group B, seven cases of newborn infants. The average time of hypoxia was about 71 h. Group C, six cases of premature infants. The average hypoxia time was 34.7 h. Frontal cortex, forebrain, hippocampus, and parahippocampal gyrus and cerebellum of each brain were examined. The method of Ladisch and Gillard (1985) was used to purify and quantify gangliosides. The results showed that total gangliosides decreased significantly in three regions of cerebral hemispheres of group B and in four brain regions of group C, as compared with group A (p less than 0.01). The amount of gangliosides in frontal cortex in group B was lower than in group C (p less than 0.01). The four major gangliosides (GM1, GD1a, GD1b, and GT1b) were all reduced in cerebral hemispheres of group B and C. In hypoxic brains, the percentage of gangliosides also showed some alterations. There was less GD1a in the cerebral hemispheres of group B and the frontal cortex of group C. The amount of GD1b was also less in the frontal cortex and forebrain of group B than in group A or C. The results suggest that severe hypoxia might cause decreases in brain gangliosides that correlate to the severity of brain damage.