Ganglioside therapy of type I diabetes: enhancement of hyperglycemia in the low dose streptozotocin model.

The therapeutic potential of bovine brain gangliosides on the development of insulin deficient diabetes was analysed. Daily ganglioside administration (50 mg/kg body weight) caused a more pronounced rise of blood glucose levels (p less than 0.05) in low dose streptozotocin treated mice, a model of human type I diabetes. Hyperglycemia induced by the injection of a single high dose of streptozotocin was slightly increased by ganglioside administration (not significant). The previously reported protective effect of bovine brain gangliosides on the development of diabetes in NOD mice was thus not found in a second mouse model.