[Changes in the composition of glycolipids in N-nitrosomorpholine-induced hepatoma. The role of such substances in the plasma membrane of normal and neoplastic cells].

Malignant hepatomas induced in the rat by N-Nitrosomorpholine showed an absence of trisialogangliosides GT1 and, in some cases, also a decrease in disialoganglioside GD1a and monoganglioside GM1. Simultaneously there occurred an increase in a monoganglioside with a short oligosacharide chain GM3. Such deviations in the composition of glycolipids are in accordance with the literary data mentioning, as a general change, the presence of only some glycolipids as a result of a deficient synthesis of the oligosacharide part of their molecule. The differences in the glycolipid composition of the cell membrane as well as their different arrangement have been discussed with respect to some present views concerning the different behaviour of the neoplastic cell surfaces.