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The fatty acid composition of major glycosphingolipids (cerebrosides and sulfatides) in human cerebral white matter measured by a simple micromethod

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Summary

A micromethod for the investigation of the fatty acid composition of myelin glycosphingolipids (cerebrosides and sulfatides) suitable for general application in the investigation of neurological disorders, especially demyelinating diseases, is presented. Using the lipids extracted from 1 g of material these are freed of phospholipids by Florisil column chromatography and separated by thin-layer chromatography into 2 cerebroside and sulfatide fractions which are analyzed individually. The results obtained from the white matter of 13 normal adult brains are distributed within a narrow range which is most pronounced for the group of long chain fatty acids. Our results also agree with those quoted from literature.

Zusammenfassung

Es wurde eine Mikromethode zur Bestimmung der Fettsäurezusammensetzung der myelintypischen Glykosphingolipide (Cerebroside und Sulfatide) entwickelt, welche für entsprechende Untersuchungen bei verschiedenen neurologischen Erkrankungen, insbesondere Entmarkungskrankheiten, eingesetzt werden kann. Ausgehend von 1 g Gewebsmaterial werden die Lipide extrahiert, die Phospholipide an aktiviertem Florisil abgetrennt und die Glykolipide dünnschichtchromatographisch in je 2 Cerebrosid- und Sulfatidfraktionen aufgetrennt. Diese können dann einzeln untersucht werden. Die Ergebnisse der Fettsäureanalysen von 13 autoptisch gewonnenen normalen Gehirnproben erwachsener Personen besitzen nur eine geringe Streubreite, was besonders für die langkettigen Fettsäuren gilt. Die Befunde mit unserer Mikromethode stehen in guter Übereinstimmung mit den Werten anderer Autoren.

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Abbreviations

FAME:

fatty acid methyl esters

FID:

flame ionisation detector

GLC:

gas-liquid chromatography

TLC:

thin-layer chromatography

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Neurology and Neuropathology, University of Göttingen, Germany

    R. Heipertz, H. Pilz & W. Scholz

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  1. R. Heipertz
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  2. H. Pilz
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  3. W. Scholz
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Heipertz, R., Pilz, H. & Scholz, W. The fatty acid composition of major glycosphingolipids (cerebrosides and sulfatides) in human cerebral white matter measured by a simple micromethod. J Neurol 213, 47–58 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00316339

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00316339

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