Repeated monosialoganglioside administration attenuates behavioral sensitization to amphetamine.

The effects of repeated monosialoganglioside (GM1) administration on amphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization were studied using locomotion frequency of mice observed in an open-field as an experimental parameter. GM1 (30 mg/kg, once a day for 7 days) did not modify mouse behavior per se but decreased the hyperlocomotion of mice repeatedly treated with amphetamine (3.0 mg/kg, once a day for 7 days, 30 min after GM1 injection). GM1 acutely administered 30 min before amphetamine did not modify the increase in locomotion frequency induced by acute amphetamine administration. These results agree with previous reports that gangliosides treatment may affect synaptic-plasticity, modifying the induction of the adaptive changes following drug-treatment.