Purpose: This study involved a clinical and histopathologic evaluation of the use of gangliosides in nerve regeneration, using an experimental model with higher vertebrates.
Materials and methods: Forty Sprague Dawley rats had their right sciatic nerve crushed for 1 minute in a hemostatic tweezer. The animals were divided into experimental and control groups. The animals in the experimental group received an intramuscular injection of gangliosides in the left thigh for 25 days, whereas those in the control group received infiltrations of distilled water. A clinical evaluation of gait was made 24 hours and then 45 days after the surgical intervention, and a histopathologic evaluation of the sciatic nerves was performed after 45 days.
Results: There were no signs that the use of gangliosides significantly altered the animals' gait after 45 days. The animals in the experimental group had a greater frequency and intensity of inflammatory response than seen in the control group.
Conclusion: The systemic use of gangliosides produced no improvement in gait and led to a more frequent and intense inflammatory response at the site of injury.