Effects of postmortem autolysis on the lipids of rat spinal cord

The lipid composition of rat spinal cord undergoing postmortem autolysis for 3 min and for 4 h at 38 degrees C was investigated as a model for lipid changes in total spinal cord ischemia. The only change in cords incubated for 3 min was an 11.7% decrease in cholesterol/g fresh weight. The cords incubated for 4 h showed a similar 11.6% decrease in cholesterol/g fresh weight as well as a 5.6% increase in water content and a 22% decrease in phosphatidyl serine. Changes of marginal statistical significance included a 15% increase in lipid phosphorus/g dry wt. and a 15% decrease in G4 (GM1)1 in the 4 h incubated cords. Therefore, autolytic processes are of little consequence in total spinal cord ischemia and attention should now be focused on exogenous pathogenetic factors to explain such ischemic changes in spinal cord. We also report discovery of an alkali-labile ganglioside, G1a in rat spinal cord.