Cocaine exposure induces changes in the ganglioside content of rat liver

During cocaine exposure, the liver undergoes significant morphological and biochemical changes. We report here changes in the ganglioside pattern of rat liver after repeated administration (over 5 hours, one injection per hour) of a moderate dose of cocaine (10 mg/kg body weight). Cocaine exposure results in an accumulation of more complex gangliosides (GM1, GD1a, GD1b, GT1b and GQ1b) and a reduction of precursors (GM3, GM2, GD3 and GD2). Our results suggest that ganglioside biosynthesis could be affected by an alteration of vesicular transport from cis- to trans-Golgi cisternae produced either by cocaine itself or by some product of cocaine metabolism.