HEART-MUSCLE CELLS SHARE COMMON NEUTRAL GLYCOSPHINGOLIPIDS WITH TRYPANOSOMA-CRUZI

Neutral glycosphingolipids were isolated from mouse heart muscle cells and their structures were analyzed. The molecular compositions of the se glycosphingolipids were examined using column chromatography, HPTLC , GC-MS and fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry (FAB-MS). Monohexo sylceramides are a mixture of glucosyl- and galactosylceramides in a r atio of 1:1, sphingosine as the long chain base and as fatty acyl grou ps mainly C16, C18 saturated and C22 and C24 hydroxy fatty acids. Dihe xosylceramide, identified as lactosylceramide contains C18 sphingosine and C18, C20 and C22 were the major fatty acids. No evidence for the occurrence of hydroxylated fatty acids in this glycolipid could be obt ained from the GC-MS data. Our results clearly demonstrated that Trypa nosoma cruzi and heart muscle cells have similar glycosphingolipid str uctures. In addition, heart muscle cells neutral glycosphingolipids ha ve been shown to be immunoreactive. Antibodies reactive with each of t he immunogenic glycolipids from heart cells or T. cruzi epimastigotes were present in the sera of human patients with Chagas disease as dete cted by ELISA. These cross-reactive antigens could be involved in the Chagasic autoimmunity. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.