Ganglioside composition of liver and kidney from rat after pentazocine treatment.

1. Female non-pregnant rats were intramuscularly injected with pentazocine for 3 months. Liver showed a statistically significant (P less than 0.05) increase in its ganglioside content after the pentazocine treatment; in addition, no changes were found in the kidney ganglioside content. 2. We have also found changes in the ganglioside pattern of these rats after the pentazocine injection. The GM1 and GD1b liver content was decreased (P less than 0.05) in parallel with an increase (P less than 0.05) in GD3 and GT1b content; kidney showed a decrease (P less than 0.05) in GM1, GD1a and GD1b content and an increase (P less than 0.05) in GM4, GD2, GT1b and GQ content. 3. Female pregnant rats were also injected with pentazocine from the first to the nineteenth day of the gestation period. The total ganglioside content of liver and kidneys from mothers and their newborns did not show statistically significant differences after the treatment. 4. Mothers showed a decrease (P less than 0.05) in the GM1 content of liver and an increase (P less than 0.05) in the GT1b content of liver and GM1, GD3 and GD1a content of kidney. Only the GM3 content from kidney was increased (P less than 0.001). 5. Newborns showed minor changes in their ganglioside pattern. GT1b content from liver and GD2 and GQ content from kidneys were decreased (P less than 0.05).