title: Structural characteristics of the ceramides of neutral glycosphingolipids in the human female genital tract--their menstrual cycle-associated change in the cervical epithelium and uterine endometrium, and their dissociation in the mucosa of the fallopian tube with the menstrual cycle.
abstract: In human cervical epithelium, uterine endometrium, and mucosa of the fallopian tubes, neutral glycosphingolipids were exclusively represented by the globo-series glycosphingolipids, such as CMH, LacCer, Gb3Cer and Gb4Cer, but the molecular species of their ceramide moieties were characteristically altered in the cervical epithelium and uterine endometrium during the menstrual cycle. Individual neutral glycosphingolipids in the cervical epithelium and the uterine endometrium at the follicular phase gave two bands on TLC, whereas those at the luteal phase displayed three bands, the third being the lower migrating one. Neutral glycosphingolipids migrating to the same positions as these lower-migrating bands were constantly detected in the mucosa of the fallopian tubes, independent of the menstrual cycle. The lower-migrating bands for the cervical epithelium and the uterine endometrium at the luteal phase were due to molecules mainly constructed of phytosphingosine with alpha-hydroxy fatty acids having chain lengths of 18-24 and 4-sphingenine with alpha-hydroxy fatty acids having chain lengths of 16-22, whereas those in the mucosa of the fallopian tubes were exclusively N-alpha-hydroxypalmitoyl 4-sphingenine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takamatsu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mikami
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kiguchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nozawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwamori
mesh_terms: D002518:Ceramides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000378:metabolism; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D016339:Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; D006028:Glycosphingolipids