We also observed an effect of GM1 on the expression of GFAP, an intermediate filament protein with various functions in astrocytes (Bartzokis et al, 2007a) that has been proposed to have a role in the regulation of blood–brain barrier and myelin integrity as well as in the pathophysiology of depression (Middeldorp & Hol, 2011). Here, GFAP is linked to depressive disorder.