title: Ceramide: a new lipid "second messenger"?
abstract: 1-Alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and gamma-interferon induce sphingomyelin turnover to ceramide in HL-60 cells. The time frame of the turnover is consistent with ceramide formation being a mediator of growth and differentiation; furthermore, differentiation can be induced by addition of exogenous ceramides alone. Hence, the action of the biologically active form of vitamin D and other nutritionally relevant factors may be mediated by lipid second messenger pathways involving sphingolipids.
authors.affiliation: Rollins Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Merrill
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002518:Ceramides / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D015290:Second Messenger Systems
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides