This study reports a single-step analysis of the molecular species of endogenous ceramides
and of the ceramide moiety of sphingomyelins in biological samples, using gas liquid
chromatography (GLC). Silylated sphingomyelins were quantitatively converted to
monosilylated ceramide upon injection into GLC, whereas the free ceramides were
disilylated on the primary and secondary alcohol function, as confirmed by mass
spectrometry. The reproducible shift of the retention times between the mono-and disilylated …