Ether-linked glycerolipids in human brain tumors.

In this investigation, the lipid composition of a number of human brain tumors was determined and compared to that of normal adult brain. Glioblastomas (11 samples), astrocytomas (4 samples), an acoustic neurinoma, an oligodendroglioma, and a meningioma were analyzed. All of the tumors had substantial levels (0.8-3.4% of total phospholipids) of choline plasmalogen which was present in only trace amounts in normal brain. With the exceptions of the acoustic neurinoma and the meningioma, the concentration of alkylacylglycerophosphorylcholine was also higher in the tumors than in normal brain. Neutral lipids of brain tumors also contained high concentrations of both alkyl (1.6-4.8% of total neutral gsults from this investigation indicate that increases in ether-linked glycerolipids may be characteristic of human brain tumors.