Ganglioside content and composition were studied in whole brains from 9 neurologically normal male individuals ranging from 25 to 85 years in age. The content of ganglioside-bound sialic acid decreased from 1,070 to 380 μg/g fresh tissue at 85 years. Ten individual ganglioside fractions were identified on high-performance thin-layer chromatography, seven of which were quantified. With age, ganglioside composition shifted to a more polar pattern due to an increase in the relative concentration of the more polar fractions GQ1b, GT1b and GD1b and a decrease in GD1 a and GM1. Except for GQ1b, the absolute concentration of all gangliosides decreased with age. All changes were more pronounced in younger ages. Results are discussed in relation to structural changes occurring in the aging brain, and the involvement of gangliosides is suggested.

No abstract

(Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2018;58:548–552) In Australia, most women undergoing labor and vaginal delivery receive a peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) for any needed IV fluids, blood products or medications. While the smallest gauge catheter necessary is recommended by guidelines for intravenous access, many women receive a large-bore, 16 or 18 G, PIVC due to concerns about potential obstetric hemorrhage. Insertion of large-bore PIVCs can be very painful, especially when inserted in the back of the hand or wrist. This current study aimed to assess the necessity of large bore PIVCs in laboring parturients by inquiring about: any existing evidence supporting the practice; how common this practice is in Australia; the proportion of inserted PIVCs that are 18 G or larger; and the number of women requiring blood products in the peripartum period.

There is no significant change in the concentration, per gram of fresh tissue, of the total carbohydrate associated with brain glycoproteins as the human brain ages from 25 to 85 years. Nevertheless, notable shifts in the concentration of varied types of oligosaccharides do occur. The concentration and percentage of total glycopeptide-carbohydrate recovered from the whole brain represented by the N-glycosidically linked complex sialooligosaccharides of the tri- and tetraantennary type show a marked decline with age. On the other hand, the N-linked mannose high oligosaccharides of the ovalbumin type, the N-linked biantennary sialoglycopeptides of the transferrin type, and the O-linked oligosaccharides show an increase as the brain ages. Other age related changes that were noted include an increase in the number of sulfate ester groups associated with the N-linked sialoglycopeptides and a decrease in the number of phosphorylated high mannose oligosaccharides as the brain ages.