Levels of cerebrosides, sulfatides, and galactosyl diglycerides in different regions of rat brain change during maturation and distribution in subcellular fractions of gray and white matter of sheep brain

Abstract

The concentrations of galactosyl non-hydroxyceramide, galactosyl hydroxyceramide, non-hydroxysulfatide, hydroxysulfatide, monogalactosyl diglyceride, and glucosyl ceramide were determined in brain stem, cerebellum, cerebral hemisphere, and diencephalone of brains from 5-, 10-, 14-, 19-, 26- and 37-dayold rats by high performance liquid chromatography. The concentrations of cerebrosides and sulfatides increased rapidly in all areas of the brain during the maturational period. The most rapid increase was in the brain stem, and the least rapid increase was in the cerebral hemisphere. Galactosyl diglyceride increased somewhat more slowly than that of sphingolipids and leveled off in all parts of the brain after 26 days. Glucosyl ceramide was detected in all areas of 5- and 10-day-old brain and in the cerebral hemisphere and diencephalone of 14-day-old brain. All subcellular fractions of sheep brain white matter contained similar sphingolipid compositions. However, 94% hydroxy- and non-hydroxycerebrosides and 95% hydroxy- and non-hydroxysulfatides were found in two fractions rich in myelin. The gray matter subcellular fractions containined approx. 6% of the sphingolipids found in white matter. The fractions from gray matter containing myelin and nuclei had a similar sphingolipid composition as white matter. In the other fractions from gray matter the lipid concentrations were much lower and the composition was entirely different. In general, these fractions had relatively higher hydroxycerebroside and sulfatide concentrations.