title: Measurement of the ratio of lecithin to sphingomyelin in amniotic fluid by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry.
abstract: We describe a fast atom bombardment mass spectrometric method to determine the ratio of lecithin to sphingomyelin in amniotic fluid. Between m/z 400 and 1000, amniotic fluid extracts showed clear peaks for only sphingomyelin and lecithin. The molecular species of fatty acid in the phospholipids were analyzed quantitatively and quickly in a small volume of the extracts. The dipalmitoyllecithin/palmitoylsphingomelin ratio, determined by the proposed method, showed a reasonable correlation to the lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio measured by thin-layer chromatography. This method allows rapid and sensitive measurement of these phospholipids.
authors.affiliation: Osaka Medical Center, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ashida
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000032:analysis*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D016339:Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010743:Phospholipids; D013109:Sphingomyelins