Heart muscle cells share common neutral glycosphingolipids with Trypanosoma cruzi.
Neutral glycosphingolipids were isolated from mouse heart muscle cells and their structures were analyzed. The molecular compositions of these glycosphingolipids were examined using column chromatography, HPTLC, GC-MS and fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry (FAB-MS). Monohexosylceramides are a mixture of glucosyl- and galactosylceramides in a ratio of 1:1, sphingosine as the long chain base and as fatty acyl groups mainly C16, C18 saturated and C22 and C24 hydroxy fatty acids. Dihexosylceramide, identified as lactosylceramide contains C18 sphingosine and C18, C20 and C22 were the major fatty acids. No evidence for the occurrence of hydroxylated fatty acids in this glycolipid could be obtained from the GC-MS data. Our results clearly demonstrated that Trypanosoma cruzi and heart muscle cells have similar glycosphingolipid structures. In addition, heart muscle cells neutral glycosphingolipids have been shown to be immunoreactive. Antibodies reactive with each of the immunogenic glycolipids from heart cells or T. cruzi epimastigotes were present in the sera of human patients with Chagas disease as detected by ELISA. These cross-reactive antigens could be involved in the Chagasic autoimmunity.
Vermelho
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Departmento de Microbiologia Geral, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
de Meirelles
M de N
Mde N
Pereira
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MC
Pohlentz
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G
Barreto-Bergter
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E
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D002845:Chromatography; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology*; D016339:Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000032:analysis; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology*
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D005227:Fatty Acids; D006028:Glycosphingolipids; D013110:Sphingosine