Structural characteristics of the ceramides of neutral glycosphingolipids in the human female genital tract —their menstrual cycle-associated change in the cervical epithelium and uterine endometrium, and their dissociation in the mucosa of the fallopian tube with the menstrual cycle

Abstract

In human cervical epithelium, uterine endometrium, and mucosa of the fallopian tubes, neutral glycosphingolipids were exclusively represented by the globo-series glycosphingolipids, such as CMH, LacCer, Gb 3Cer and Gb 4Cer, but the molecular species of their ceramide moieties were characteristically altered in the cervical epithelium and uterine endometrium during the menstrual cycle. Individual neutral glycosphingolipids in the cervical epithelium and the uterine endometrium at the follicular phase gave two bands on TLC, whereas those at the luteal phase displayed three bands, the third being the lower migrating one. Neutral glycosphingolipids migrating to the same positions as these lower-migrating bands were constantly detected in the mucosa of the fallopian tubes, independent of the menstrual cycle. The lower-migrating bands for the cervical epithelium and the uterine endometrium at the luteal phase were due to molecules mainly constructed of phytosphingosine with α-hydroxy fatty acids having chain lengths of 18–24 and 4-sphingenine with α-hydroxy fatty acids having chain lengths of 16–22, whereas those in the mucosa of the fallopian tubes were exclusively N- α-hydroxypalmitoyl 4-sphingenine.