C18:0 GM3 ganglioside's efficacy in LPS-induced parkinsonism: neuroprotection, inflammatory inhibition and gliosis mitigation.

Abstract

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is an incurable neurological disorder, and current pharmacological therapies primarily address symptoms without halting disease progression. Emerging evidence highlights PD as a neuroinflammatory disease, with chronic brain inflammation preceding the onset of motor dysfunction. This study investigates the role of C18:0 GM3, a long-chain fatty acids-containing ganglioside, in modulating inflammatory responses in PD, exploring its therapeutic potential in mitigating LPS-induced parkinsonism.

Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice were utilized in an LPS-induced PD model to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of C18:0 GM3 ganglioside. Pre-treatment with C18:0 GM3 was assessed through behavioral tests, including rotarod and beam-walking, to determine motor function improvements. Dopaminergic neurotoxicity was quantified using [¹⁸F]FE-PE2I positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) staining. The anti-inflammatory and anti-gliosis effects of C18:0 GM3 were analyzed by measuring cytokine levels (IL-1β, TNF-α) and by assessing Iba1 and GFAP immunoreactivity as indicators of microglial and astrocytic changes, respectively.

Results: Pre-treatment with C18:0 GM3 ganglioside significantly enhanced motor coordination and balance, as evidenced by improved performance in rotarod and beam-walking tests. Furthermore, C18:0 GM3 ganglioside effectively attenuated LPS-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity, evidenced by increased striatal dopamine transporter availability on [¹⁸F]FE-PE2I PET imaging and the preservation of TH-positive neurons in the striatum. In addition, C18:0 GM3 markedly suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β and TNF-α, along with cyclooxygenase-2 levels. C18:0 GM3 also reduced gliosis, as demonstrated by a decrease in Iba1-positive microglial cells and GFAP-positive astrocytes.

Conclusion: Our data indicate that C18:0 GM3 primarily attenuates the TLR4-driven inflammatory cascade initiated by intrastriatal LPS, thereby secondarily preserving striatal dopaminergic terminals and improving motor deficits. Although these results highlight anti-inflammatory neuroprotection, additional studies are required to determine whether GM3 also modulates downstream Parkinson-specific processes such as α-synuclein aggregation or progressive neurodegeneration.