Quantitative determination of lysolecithin and sphingomyelin in phospholipid mixtures by thin-layer chromatography as applied to the thymus of the fmfm mouse

Abstract

Lysolecithin and sphingomyelin may be readily separated from other phospholipids on thin-layer plates impregnated with silver nitrate using the solvent system chloroform–methanol–concentrated ammonium hydroxide 65:35:8. Quantitation is carried out by determining the phosphorus content of the developed bands. The minimum amount of phospholipid that can be quantitatively determined is that which contains 0.7 μg of phosphorus. This method has been used for the determination of lysolecithin and sphingomyelin in the tissues of mice having foam-cell reticulosis.

Keywords

• phosphorus
• argentation chromatography
• foam-cell reticulosis
• Niemann-Pick disease