Ganglioside as a Prophylactic Agent in Experimental Tetanus in Mice

SUMMARY: The symptoms of tetanus in mice, resulting from intramuscular injection of either purified tetanus toxin or vegetative bacilli of Clostridium tetani, can be partially prevented if the mice are injected at the same time, or a few hours before or afterwards, with a preparation of mixed gangliosides or with a suspension of ganglioside/cerebroside complex. Injection at the same site as the toxin injection is most effective, although intravenous injection of ganglioside (but not of the complex) also has some action; 0.5 mg. of ganglioside when complexed with 1·5 mg. cerebroside is as effective in protection as 5 mg. ganglioside alone. Protection by complexes containing different proportions of ganglioside reflects their ability to fix tetanus toxin in vitro. It is tentatively suggested that injection of ganglioside/cerebroside complex at a site of injury might be of prophylactic value in human tetanus.