P-31 NMR PHOSPHOLIPID CHARACTERIZATION OF INTRACRANIAL TUMORS

Phospholipid extracts from 48 intracranial tumors were analyzed using P-31 NMR. Phospholipids commonly identified in the tumor spectra inclu ded phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidic acid (PA), diphosphatidylg lycerol (DPG), uncharacterized phospholipid (U), ethanolamine plasmalo gen (EPLAS), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS), s phingomyelin (SM), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), phosphatidylinositol (PI), a choline phospholipid (CPLIP), and phosphatidylcholine (PC), D ifferences in the mean relative mole-percentage of phosphorus concentr ations of individual phospholipids were used to differentiate among tu mors. Neural sheath tumors (neurilemmoma, neurofibroma and fibrosarcom a) were noted to contain significantly elevated levels of SM relative to tumors of neural glial origin and individually, glioblastoma multif orme was noted to contain depressed levels of SM relative to neurilemm oma, neurofibroma and meningioma. Significantly decreased levels of PA were noted for glioblastoma relative to neurilemmoma along with signi ficantly decreased levels of PE relative to meningioma. Elevated level s of LPC and CPLIP were seen in glioblastoma multiforme relative to me ningioma. Additional findings included elevated levels of PC for gliob lastoma multiforme relative to neurofibroma, and neurilemmoma was diff erentiated from neurofibroma with elevated levels of PA and depressed levels of PI. P-31 NMR phospholipid analysis provides supplemental bio chemical information which may be used to improve the interpretation o f spectra acquired in vivo, and reveals important tumor-specific bioch emical information which may further improve the understanding of the biological behavior of intracranial tumors.