Chatterjee Subroto, Kolmakova Antonina, Miller Michael
Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Curr Opin Investig Drugs. 2006 Mar;7(3):219-28.
Sphingomyelin (SM) is an integral component of mammalian cell membranes and nerves. However, the inability to catabolize SM may lead to its accumulation in various tissues and organs, resulting in pathological disorders such as Niemann Pick disease. Elevated levels of SM have also been identified as an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease. During the past two decades, data have emerged that support an important role for metabolites of SM, such as ceramide and sphingosine-1-phosphate, in the regulation of phenotypic changes such as cell proliferation, cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis and angiogenesis. Further studies of the molecular and pathobiological basis of these phospholipids may facilitate advances in the discovery of drugs with which to mitigate diseases that may result from an elevation in SM and its metabolites.
鞘磷脂（SM）是哺乳动物细胞膜和神经的重要组成部分。然而，无法分解代谢鞘磷脂可能导致其在各种组织和器官中积累，从而引发诸如尼曼-匹克病等病理紊乱。鞘磷脂水平升高也被确认为冠心病的一个独立危险因素。在过去二十年中，有数据表明鞘磷脂的代谢产物，如神经酰胺和1-磷酸鞘氨醇，在调节细胞增殖、细胞周期停滞、凋亡和血管生成等表型变化中发挥重要作用。对这些磷脂的分子和病理生物学基础进行进一步研究，可能有助于推动发现用于减轻因鞘磷脂及其代谢产物水平升高而可能引发的疾病的药物。
