Content and composition of the gangliosides of forebrain, brain stem and cerebellum of the rat during normal and restricted growth

The effect of undernutrition was studied on the content and composition of the gangliosides of forebrain, brain stem, and cerebellum of Wistar rats. Undernourishment from before birth upto 21 days of age did not produce any significant change in the content of gangliosides in any brain area, but when continued upto 121 days it resulted in a significant decrease of the lipids in each of these brain regions. At this age the different ganglioside fractions were, however, affected differently in the different brain areas. Thus the accumulation of the ganglioside GD1a was most affected in the forebrain, of ganglioside GD1b in the brain stem, and of ganglioside GT1 in the cerebellum. These were the largest fractions of total gangliosides in the respective brain areas at 121 days of age. The results suggest that the brain may be vulnerable to undernourishment at any time when a biochemical process in development of the tissue is in progress.