Ganglioside content of rat liver after administration of ethanol and pentazocine or sucrose supplemented diets.

In a previous paper, we determined the effect of either ethanol or pentazocine administered separately on the ganglioside content of rat liver. In the present paper we have investigated the effect of pentazocine injection on the liver ganglioside contents of chronic alcoholic rats. The effect of high carbohydrate ingestion was also studied. Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into three experimental groups that received ethanol and pentazocine, a carbohydrate supplemented diet or a laboratory diet and water. Liver ganglioside contents were slightly increased in the ethanol plus pentazocine group as compared to the control and high carbohydrate diet groups. No differences were found between the two latter groups. The percentage distribution of individual gangliosides (ganglioside pattern) was also modified. A decrease in gangliosides belonging to the b-series (GD3, GD1b, GT1b and GQ1b) in parallel with an increase in that of the a-series (GM2, GM1 and GD1a) were found for both the ethanol plus pentazocine and the high-carbohydrate fed rats. The results suggest that ethanol or high carbohydrate ingestion diminishes the activity of GD3 synthase, a key enzyme in the metabolism of gangliosides, which determines the proportion of gangliosides, belonging to the a- and b-series.