Effect of parenteral administration of GM1 on cytokines and anti-ganglioside antibody patterns. Preliminary report in normal human individuals

Abstract To assess the effects of monosialoganglioside G M1 on some immunological parameters, 12 healthy men were treated with 100 mg G M1 i.m. daily for 15 days. Before and after treatment, the following were studied: (1) serum levels of antibodies against G M1 , asialo-G M1 (aG M1 ), G M2 and G D1b ; (2) serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ); (3) IL-1β and TNF-α production by peripheral blood monocytes (PBMO). Anti-ganglioside antibody and cytokine serum levels were not affected by exogenous G M1 administration with the exception of a transient increase in anti-G M1 antibody titer observed in one subject. In addition, no inhibition of IL-1β and TNF-α production by PBMO was observed. These preliminary data do not support a potential immunogenic or immunomodulatory function for in vivo administered G M1 .