Distribution of glycosphingolipids of monkey small and large intestinal mucosa.

The ganglioside and neutral glycosphingolipid composition of adult monkey small and large intestinal mucosa were characterized and compared. GM3, GM2 and GD1A were found to be the principal gangliosides in each of these tissues. Dihexosylceramide was the major neutral glycosphingolipid of both organs. The total content of gangliosides and neutral glycolipids/ceramide, however, was ca. four-fold and two-fold higher, respectively, in small intestinal than colonic mucosa. While all glycosphingolipids examined contained hydroxy and nonhydroxy fatty acids, the former fatty acids accounted for 60-90% of the total fatty acids in both organs. Sphingosine was the predominant long chain base of ceramide, mono-, di-, tri- and tetrahexosylceramide, whereas phytosphingosine was the major base of GM3 in both tissues. The results of these studies demonstrate that while many similarities of monkey small and large intestinal glycosphingolipids exist, qualitative and quantitative differences are present along the length of the monkey gut. These differences may be at least partially responsible for certain of the well-recognized variations in normal physiological and pathological processes that occur in these organs.