Identification of phospholipids in human thrombocytes and erythrocytes.

Abstract Neutron-activation paper chromatographic analysis was used successfully for the identification and quantitative determination of phospholipids in human thrombocytes and erythrocytes in comparison with those in human plasma and liver. Lecithin, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine phosphoinositide, choline plasmalogen, ethanolamine plasmalogen, and sphingomyelin were identified in human thrombocytes and, with the exception of ethanolamine plasmalogen, all of these substances were also identified in erythrocytes. A higher relative percentage of phosphatidylserine was found in human erythrocytes than in thrombocytes. The implications of these findings are discussed.