Monosialoganglioside attenuates the excitatory and behavioural sensitization effects of ethanol

The effects of long-term monosialoganglioside GM1 treatment on the acute excitatory effects of ethanol and behavioural sensitization to this effect were studied, using locomotion frequency of mice observed in an open field as an experimental parameter. GM1 (30 mg/kg, once a day, for 21 days) did not modify mouse behaviour but decreased both the acute excitatory (1.8 g/kg) and the behavioural sensitization effects of ethanol (1.8 g/kg, once a day for 21 days, 30 min after GM1 injections). GM1 administered acutely 30 min or 24 h before ethanol did not modify the ethanol-induced increase in locomotion frequency. These results agree with previous reports in which ganglioside treatment modified both dopaminergic plasticity and other behavioural and biochemical effects of ethanol.