Increase of gangliosides in atherosclerotic human aortas.

Preparations of human thoracic aortas containing intima and media were obtained post-mortem, and gangliosides were isolated by standard techniques. The quantity of ganglioside sialic acid, as assayed by gas liquid chromatography, was lowest in normal aortas (33±9 nmoles N-acetyl neuraminic acid/g wet tissue) and progressively increased in aortas containing predominantly fatty streaks (54±1 nmoles N-acetyl neuraminic acid/g wet tissue), raised yellow plaques (88±23 nmoles N-acetyl neuraminic acid/g wet tissue), and ulcerated lesions (270±44 nmoles N-acetyl neuraminic acid/h wet tissues). Both thin layer chromatography of the gangliosides and gas liquid chromatography of the constituent sugars demonstrated the presence of a ganglioside with properties similar to a monosialyl lactosyl ceramide (GM3) as the major ganglioside. A ganglioside with similar chemical characteristics was isolated from plasma and low density lipoproteins.