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.