Brain lipids: I. Quantification and fatty acid composition of cerebroside sulfate in human cerebral gray and white matter

Abstract

Cerebroside sulfate was isolated by column chromatography from infant whole brains and adult human cerebral grey and white matter. Fatty acid analyses, performed by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), of normal and α-hydroxy fatty acids obtained after hydrolysis revealed that cerebroside sulfate contains long-chain fatty acids ranging from 14–26 carbons both in the normal and hydroxy series. In mature brains, 24:0 and 24:1 were the major fatty acids in both series. Odd-chain fatty acids were present, as well as monounsaturates of both odd- and even-chain fatty acids, but no polyenes were detected. Cerebroside sulfate in the infant brain contained smaller proportions of odd-chain and hydroxy fatty acids when compared with mature brains. Cerebroside sulfate contained smaller proportions of hydroxy acids than cerebroside in each tissue. The fatty acid compositions of cerebroside sulfate from grey and white matter were similar. Comparison of cerebroside and cerebroside sulfate isolated from the same source revealed a similar fatty acid composition for these glycolipids.