title: Glycosphingolipid composition of primary cultured human brain microvascular endothelial cells.
abstract: Glycosphingolipid (GSL) antigens have been considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune neurologic disorders including multiple sclerosis. To establish the GSL pattern specific for endothelial cells forming blood-brain barrier (BBB), we established a method to yield sufficient quantities of highly purified human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) and compared their GSL composition to that of human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), as the representative of endothelial cells not forming BBB. The major gangliosides were GM3 and sialyl paragloboside (LM1), and the major neutral GSLs were lactosylceramide (LacCer), globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), and globoside (Gb4). Trace amounts of GM1, GD1a, GD1b, GT1b, and sulfoglucuronosyl paragloboside (SGPG) could be detected by the high performance thin layer chromatography-overlay method. SGPG was detected only at a nonconfluent state in an amount almost 1/30 that of in nonconfluent HUVECs. Conversely, GM3 and LM1 increased significantly after confluency. The amount of Gb3 in HBMECs was almost as twice that in HUVECs. The significance of these differences in GSL content between HBMECs and HUVECs and between confluent and nonconfluent states is obscure. It might be related, however, to the defense mechanism at the BBB and to the susceptibility of the central nervous system in some disorders that target cell surface GSL, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School, Tokyo, Japan. t-kanda.nuro@tmd.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanda
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ariga
authors.forename: Hisako
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kubodera
authors.forename: Hong Lian
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Owada
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kasama
authors.forename: Masanaga
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamawaki
authors.forename: Hidehiro
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizusawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000737:chemistry*; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000737:chemistry*; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D006028:Glycosphingolipids