i(3)so3-galactosylceramide and Atrophy

Sulfatides highly expressed in the normal gastric mucosa play important roles in gastric mucosal protection. However, it is unknown whether the sulfatides expression changes in chronic gastritis.. Sulfatides expression levels were examined with immunohistochemical staining in 77 specimens obtained from resected human stomachs, followed by the measurement of optical density of the staining under digital microscopy. For mRNA expression analysis of GalCer (galactosylceramide)-sulfotransferase and arylsulfatase A using a quantitative real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, 64 biopsy specimens were endoscopically taken from the gastric corpus of out patients. Mucosal changes were scored under microscopic observations according to the updated Sydney System classification.. The sulfatides expression decreased along with the progression of mucosal atrophy and lymphocytes infiltration, and was barely observed in intestinal metaplasia. The mRNA expression of GalCer-sulfotransferase, a biosynthetic enzyme for sulfatides, also decreased along with the progression of mucosal atrophy and lymphocytes infiltration. In contrast, mRNA expression of arylsulfatase A, which degrades sulfatides, was not altered.. Expression of sulfatides and GalCer-sulfotransferase in the gastric mucosa of chronic gastritis is selectively reduced according to the mucosal atrophy and inflammation. Decreased expression of sulfatides may attribute to the deterioration of mucosal protection in chronic gastritis.

Topics: Atrophy; Biopsy; Cerebroside-Sulfatase; Chronic Disease; Down-Regulation; Gastric Mucosa; Gastritis; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Inflammation; Lymphocytes; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger; Sulfoglycosphingolipids; Sulfotransferases

Sulphatides were assayed in preparations of frontal cortex, neostriatum and hippocampus of 6-month-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR, systolic pressure 215 +/- 6 mmHg) and age-matched normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats (systolic pressure 143 +/- 6 mmHg) by thin layer chromatography associated with spectrophotometry and histochemistry. The volume of gray and white matter of the above areas was also measured by microanatomical techniques associated with image analysis. Sulphatide levels were unchanged in the frontal cortex and neostriatum and decreased in the hippocampus of SHR in comparison with WKY rats. No changes of metachromatic sulphatide staining were found in the different brain areas investigated of SHR, whereas a decrease of positive metachromatic areas was noticeable in the frontal cortex and neostriatum, but not in the hippocampus of SHR. A reduction of volume of frontal cortex gray and white matter as well as of striosomes and of gray matter of hippocampus was found in SHR. No changes in the total volume of neostriatum and in the volume of white matter of hippocampus were observed between SHR and normotensive WKY rats. These findings, which are consistent with recent evidence of the occurrence of atrophic changes in the brain of SHR, showed that sulphatide levels were decreased in the hippocampus of SHR. In this area no reduction of white matter was observed. Sulphatide concentrations are thought to reflect the status of brain myelinated fibers. The not parallel decrease of sulphatide levels and white matter volume in the majority of brain areas investigated suggests the occurrence in SHR of sulphatide changes not corresponding simply to a reduction of myelinated pathways.

Topics: Animals; Atrophy; Brain; Frontal Lobe; Hippocampus; Hypertension; Male; Neostriatum; Organ Size; Rats; Rats, Inbred SHR; Rats, Inbred WKY; Sulfoglycosphingolipids

The biochemical analysis of a case of infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, as determined by clinical and neuropathological findings, is presented. A diminished amount of solids is found, the amount of lipids is 30% of the normal as expressed in lyophilized tissue. The yield of myelin isolated by the density gradient is 1.8% of the normal. Phospholipid patterns show a reduction in ethanolamine phosphoglyceride, N-acetylneuraminic acid is extremely low and sphingolipids are largely reduced, cerebrosides being most affected (2.5% of the normal). In cerebrosides and sulfatides the decrease in very long chain fatty acids is important, but the deficiency in any type (including hydroxy compounds) is not too dramatic. According to the aspect under electron microscopy, the density profile, and the biochemical composition of the subfractions, isolated myelin is close to normal. The loss of the myelin sheath appears to reflect a Wallerian degeneration in the CNS: myelin loss is a secondary effect. This disease, from a biochemical point of view, seems to be the ideal control for leukodystrophies.

Topics: Atrophy; Brain; Brain Chemistry; Cerebrosides; Ceroid; Child; Fatty Acids; Humans; Lipid Metabolism; Lipid Metabolism, Inborn Errors; Lipids; Lipofuscin; Male; Myelin Proteins; Myelin Sheath; Pigments, Biological; Sphingomyelins; Sulfoglycosphingolipids

An autopsy case of adult metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) manifested clinically as schizophrenic psychosis is reported. A 50-year-old man developed progressive mental changes 10 years before his death, and later manifested a schizophrenic syndrome without neurologic deficits or EEG changes. After his death from uremia neuropathology disclosed MLD with demyelination accentuated in the frontal lobes and abundant metachromatic deposits in the preserved areas of cerebral white matter. Neurochemical examination of the demyelinated frontal area showed reduced concentration of cerebrosides and sulfatides, decreased amounts of total lipids in the tissue, and an increase of sulfatides, and particularly of their cerebron fractions in lipid extract. The problems of adult forms of MLD with prolonged course are discussed with special reference to cases showing mainly psychiatric syndromes.

Topics: Atrophy; Brain; Cerebrosides; Diagnostic Errors; Electroencephalography; Frontal Lobe; Humans; Hydrocephalus; Leukodystrophy, Metachromatic; Male; Middle Aged; Schizophrenia; Sulfoglycosphingolipids

Topics: Anemia, Macrocytic; Atrophy; Autopsy; Blood Vessels; Brain; Brain Chemistry; Cerebrosides; Child; Cholesterol; Chromatography, Thin Layer; Demyelinating Diseases; Esters; Fatty Acids; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; Female; Galactose; Gliosis; Globus Pallidus; Homocystinuria; Humans; Malonates; Metabolism, Inborn Errors; Phosphatidylcholines; Phospholipids; Sphingomyelins; Sulfoglycosphingolipids; Vitamin B 12