Free ceramide, sphingomyelin, and glucosylceramide of isolated rat intestinal cells.

Free ceramide, glucosylceramide, and sphingomyelin were isolated from mature cells of adult rat small intestine. Free ceramide and ceramide cleaved from sphingomyelin by enzymatic hydrolysis were fractionated by thin-layer chromatography on borate-impregnated silica gel plates. Sphingoid bases were characterized by gas-liquid chromatography of aldehydes formed upon periodate oxidation. Fatty acids were quantified as methyl esters. Ceramide structures were confirmed by direct-inlet mass spectrometry. Free ceramide was found to contain two major long-chain bases in nearly equal quantity: sphingosine, mainly linked to palmitic acid, and 4D-hydroxysphinganine associated with C20 to C24 fatty acids, 22% being hydroxylated. Sphinganine occurred as a minor component linked to nonhydroxy fatty acids. Sphingomyelin contained the three long-chain bases and 63% of its ceramide was N-palmitoyl-sphingosine. Mass spectrometry of glucosylceramide confirmed 4D-hydroxyshingamine as the major sphingoid base associated preferentially with longer chain hydroxy fatty acids.