Microanalysis of complex tissue lipids by high-performance thin-layer chromatography.

We have developed a high-performance thin-layer chromatographic method, not involving preliminary column chromatography, for separating mixtures of nonpolar lipids, glycosphingolipids, and phospholipids in one dimension. Three or four consecutive developing solvent systems are used. More than 20 different lipid subclasses can be separated using this procedure. Reproducible results have been obtained by careful control of variables. In addition, a simple and rapid fractionation procedure, using Sep-Pak silica cartridges, has been developed to concentrate neutral glycosphingolipids from biological membranes, e.g., erythrocytes, so that patients with sphingolipidosis can be easily identified.