X-Message-Number: 12441
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1999 04:25:14 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: brain lipids of a mammoth

Authors
  Kreps EM.  Chirkovskaia EV.  Pomazanskaia LF.  Avrova NF.  Levitina MV.
Title
  [Brain lipids of a
  mammoth, Elephas primigenius, which died more than 40,000
  years ago]. [Russian]
Source
  Zhurnal Evoliutsionnoi Biokhimii i Fiziologii.  15(3):227-38, 1979 May-Jun.
Abstract
  Studies have been made on the brain lipids
  of the 6--7-month mammoth which remained in the eternal ice
  for more than 40.000 years. Thin layer chromatography of chloroformmethanol
  extract of the brain lipids shows that all
  glycerophospholipids in the brain were
  destroyed. On the contrary, sphingophospholipid sphingomyelin yielded the
  evident spot which was identified by specific reactions and by comparison
  with sphingomyelin from the brain of rat. Sphingomyelin
  content was evaluated. Using gas-liquid chromatography, fatty acid
  composition of sphingomyelin was investigated. It was found to be close to
  that in contemporary mammals. Other shingolipids --
  cerebrosides, sulfatides, gangliosides -- persisted (probably, only
  partially) and were studied quantitatively. Relative content of cerebrosides
  with normal fatty acids and hydrooxyacids was determined. Studies were also
  made on fatty acid composition of cerebrosides, sulfatides and gangliosides,
  as well as on the composition of spingosine bases of gangliosides. Free
  cholesterol was found in the brain of the
  mammoth. Other sterols were not detected. With respect to
  quantitative evaluation of the preserved lipids, it should
  be mentioned that on the one hand, the brain underwent
  dehydration which increased lipid content per a unit of "wet" weight, whereas
  on the other one lipids were partially degraded, this
  process decreasing their content.

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