Sphingolipid composition of human platelets.

Total lipid extracts from washed trypsinized human platelets were fractionated into neutral lipids, glycosphingolipids, and phospholipids by silicic acid chromatography. The concentrations and chemical structures of the neutral and acidic glycosphingolipids were then studied in detail. On the basis of sugar molar ratios, studies of permethylation products, and the action of stereospecific glycosidases on the lipids, identifications were made of four neutral glycosphingolipids. Lactosylceramide was the most abundant type and accounted for 64% of the total neutral glycolipid mixture. The major fatty acids of the lactosylceramide were 20:0, 22:0, 24:0, and 24:1; the major long-chain base was 4-sphingenine. The platelets were surprisingly rich in a ceramide fraction, which represented 1.3% of the total platelet lipids. It had a different fatty acid composition than the neutral glycosphingolipid and ganglioside fractions. Hematoside was also isolated from the total lipid fraction of platelets; the neuraminic acid component was N-acetylneuraminic acid. Treatment of platelets with trypsin, chymotrypsin, or thrombin increased the yield of hematoside as compared with a control, while the level of ceramides was not changed. It was concluded that the platelets are similar to leukocytes, liver, and spleen in that lactosylceramide and hematoside are the principal neutral and acidic glycosphingolipids. The presence of a relatively high proportion of ceramide in platelets may be a unique characteristic of this cellular fraction of blood.