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Lipid and fatty acid composition is altered in plaque tissue from multiple sclerosis brain compared with normal brain white matter

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Lipids

Abstract

Plaques and white matter from brains of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients were analyzed for lipid content, class composition, and fatty acid composition of total lipid, together with the fatty acid composition of plaque glycerophospholipids, and the results were compared with white matter from normal brain. Plaques contained less than 30% of the lipid present in normal white matter. Plaque lipid was characterized by significantly increased proportions of glycerophospholipids and decreased cerebrosides and sulfatides. In addition, a subacute plaque contained approximately 10 times the proportion of steryl esters observed in chronic plaques or normal white matter. Total lipid from all the MS plaques showed significantly increased percentages of saturated fatty acids, n−6, n−3 and total polyunsaturated fatty acids and decreased percentages of monoenes and alk-1-enyl ethers in comparison with normal brains. These results were consistent with increased cellularity and astrogliosis associated with MS plaques. However, analysis of plaque glycerophospholipids showed that the fatty acid changes observed in total lipid were not simply due to the increased proportion of glycerophospholipids and decreased myelin lipids, but that the fatty acid composition of the individual glycerophospholipids was different.

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Abbreviations

BHT:

butylated hydroxytoluene

Cer:

cerebroside

CerOH:

hydroxycerebroside

CL:

cardiolipin

DMA:

dimethylacetal

FFA:

free fatty acids

MS:

multiple sclerosis

PA:

phosphatidic acid

PC:

phosphatidylcholine

PE:

phosphatidylethanolamine

PI:

phosphatidylinositol

PS:

phosphatidylserine

PUFA:

polyunsaturated fatty acid

SE:

steryl ester

SM:

sphingomyelin

Sulf:

sulfatide

SulfOH:

hydroxysulfatide

TAG:

triacylglycerol

VLCFA:

very long chain fatty acid

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological and Molecular Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, Stirling, Scotland, U.K.

    Robert Wilson

  2. NERC Unit of Aquatic Biochemistry, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, Stirling, Scotland, U.K.

    Douglas R. Tocher

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  1. Robert Wilson
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  2. Douglas R. Tocher
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Wilson, R., Tocher, D.R. Lipid and fatty acid composition is altered in plaque tissue from multiple sclerosis brain compared with normal brain white matter. Lipids 26, 9–15 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02544017

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02544017

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