HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY OF LONG-CHAIN ACYLCARNITINE AND PHOSPHOLIPIDS IN FATTY-ACID TURNOVER STUDIES

In this paper we describe a rapid, isocratic high performance liquid c hromatography (HPLC) method for the study of radioactive fatty acid in corporation into complex lipids of human erythrocytes, which allows th e simultaneous separation of the major phospholipid classes and long-c hain acylcarnitines. The lipid extract of erythrocytes pulsed with rad ioactive fatty acids was injected into an HPLC system equipped with a silica column. The individual components eluted were monitored by ultr aviolet absorption and radioactive emission. With respect to the UV pr ofile, the radioactive profile showed an additional peak between phosp hatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, which was identified as l ong-chain acylcarnitine by different experimental approaches. The radi oactivity recovered in the long-chain acylcarnitines contains essentia l information enabling definition of acyl trafficking in red cells.