Natural abundance carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the canine sciatic nerve.

The proton-decoupled natural abundance carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of the canine sciatic nerve is virtually identical to that of canine adipose tissue and markedly similar to that of liquid triolein. No resonances assignable to cholesterol, glycolipids, or sphingolipids are detectable in the sciatic nerve spectrum despite their abundance in the myelin sheath of this nerve. However, many such resonances are observed in lipid extracts of the nerve. Chronmatographic analysis of specimens of canine and rabbit sciatic nerve has revealed that these contain sufficient triglyceride to account quantitatively for the observed spectrum. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance and spin-labeling results for preparations containing myelin, especially those derived from the peripheral nerve, should be critically examined for experimental artifacts reflecting the triglyceride content.