Analysis of sulfatide from rat cerebellum and multiple sclerosis white matter by negative ion electrospray mass spectrometry

The accumulation of sulfatide (sulfatogalactosyl cerebroside) and changes i n the sulfatide species present have been examined in the cerebellum of day 6-32 aged rats and in multiple sclerosis (MS) tissue samples. Negative ion electrospray mass spectrometry with daughter and parent ion analyses were used to distinguish the fatty acyl character in the amide linkage of sulfat ide; measurement was done by selected ion and multiple reaction monitoring of individually identified sulfatide molecules. Sulfatide accumulation in r at cerebellum shows that 18:0- and hydroxylated 18:0-sulfatide are the firs t sulfatide molecules detectable. Very long fatty acyl chain sulfatide mole cules (>20:0) are present at day 7 and the ratio of non-hydroxylated compar ed to hydroxylated sulfatide rises as the amount of non-hydroxylated sulfat ide increases. 24:1-sulfatide accumulates at a ratio of about 3:1 over 24:0 -sulfatide during active myelination. Analyses of the sulfatide in human ti ssue have shown differences between MS plaque tissues, normal appearing adj acent white matter and control tissues. The findings show that total sulfat ide is reduced by 60% in the plaque matter and decreased 25% in adjacent no rmal appearing white matter. There are significant increases (P = 0.05) in the amount bf hydroxylation of sulfatide, demonstrated by an increase in th e percentage of hydroxylated h24:0-sulfatide (hydroxy-lignoceroyl sulfatide ). (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.