Japanese Journal of Cancer Research 1996-05-01

Selective reduction in alpha-hydroxypalmitic acid-containing sphingomyelin and concurrent increase in hydroxylated ceramides in murine skin tumors induced by an initiation-promotion regimen.

Y Kitano, Y Iwamori, K Kiguchi, J DiGiovanni, T Takahashi, K Kasama, T Niwa, K Harii, M Iwamori

Index: Jpn. J. Cancer Res. 87(5) , 437-41, (1996)

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Abstract

The sphingomyelin cycle is activated to accumulate ceramides in the process of epidermal differentiation. We found that sphingomyelin in the epidermis of 4 different murine strains gave three bands on TLC, the lower band containing alpha-hydroxypalmitic acid (C16h:0(alpha)). However, in the papillomas induced in the skin of SENCAR and SSIN mice by initiation with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene followed by promotion with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol acetate, the concentration of C16h:0(alpha)-containing sphingomyelin was selectively diminished with a concomitant increase in the concentrations of the ceramides containing alpha-hydroxy fatty acids. These findings indicate a possible involvement of the selective hydrolysis of alpha-hydroxy fatty acid-containing sphingomyelin in the process of tumorigenesis in mouse skin.