Abstract
Ceramide is a sphingolipid that has been implicated both in apoptosis and protection from cell death. We show that in both rat cerebellar granule cells and cortical neuronal cultures application of C(2)-ceramide causes cell death in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Similar effects were observed with the exogenous application of bacterial sphingomyelinase, which hydrolyzes sphingomyelin located on the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane and leads to endogenous ceramide accumulation. Furthermore, endogenous ceramide levels were increased during apoptosis induced by nutrient deprivation or etoposide treatment. These findings suggest that upregulation of ceramide levels, which may be generated through activation of sphingomyelinase, contributes to neuronal apoptosis.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.