Investigations of the lipid metabolism of the white matter in multiple sclerosis: changes in glycero-phosphatides and lipid-splitting enzymes.

Phospho- and galacto- lipids and lipidhydrolyzing enzymes have been determined in the white matter of a young patient with a subacute course of multiple sclerosis (MS). Significant changes were observed for the concentration of glycerophosphatides and the fatty acid pattern of the normal appearing with matter surrounding MS-plaques. Among the individual glycerophosphatides a significant decrease of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol was found, whereas the ethanolamine containing phosphatides showed lower figures (non significant). The fatty acid pattern of the ethanolamine-phosphatide-fraction of the diseased tissue a decrease of the 18:1 and the sum of 20:1 and 18:3 fatty acids as compared to the normal control, whereas the highly unsaturated, long-chained fatty acids 20:4 (arachidonic acid) and 22:6 (docosahexaenic acid) were elevated. The measurement of lipidhydrolyzing enzymes resulted in an increased phospholipase A1 activity in the diseased tissue. The experimental data point to a decreased activity of the fatty acid elongation system in the course of MS. The decrease of the acidic glycerophosphatides might be due to the increased phospholipase A1 activity.