| Literature DB >> 22237969 |
Charles R Horres1, Yusuf A Hannun.
Abstract
The neutral sphingomyelinases (N-SMases) are a group of Mg²⁺-dependent enzymes with a pH optimum in the neutral range. N-SMases catalyze the conversion of sphingomyelin to ceramide and have been found particularly enriched in brain tissue. N-SMase activity has been implicated in many physiological and pathological processes affecting the brain and nervous system. In this review, we discuss the proposed functions of N-SMase with a particular emphasis on its role in neurological disorders, such as age-related neurodegeneration, Alzheimer's disease, HIV-associated dementia, atherosclerosis, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and cancer.Entities:
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Year: 2012 PMID: 22237969 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-011-0692-y
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Neurochem Res ISSN: 0364-3190 Impact factor: 3.996