Gangliosides do not raise cyclic AMP levels during inhibition of lymphocyte mitogenesis

The effect of bovine brain gangliosides on the intrathymocyte levels of cyclic AMP as a potential mediator of ganglioside action has been studied. Commercial tri-, and disialogangliosides, at 2.5 to 5 μM were found to produce a rapid and profound increase (eg., 10 fold within 2 min by trisialoganglioside). When the preparations were purified on Florisil, this effect on cyclic AMP content was lost, but not the immunoinhibitory potency of the ganglioside (as tested on Concanavalin A induced DNA synthesis). The water soluble “ganglioside associated protein” fractions separated from commercial di- and trisialo gangliosides by Florisil chromatography did not alter the cyclic AMP levels of thymocytes. Previous reports of an effect of commercial gnagliosides on the enzymes of cyclic AMP metabolism in nervous tissue should be re-evaluated.