Activity of sphingomyelinase in rat liver in acute and chronic toxic hepatitis: proportion between peroxidative and phospholipase pathways of lipid bilayer modification.

We showed that sphingomyelinase activity in the liver increased only during the acute phase of toxic hepatitis. Peroxidative modification of hepatocyte membrane bilayer prevailed during the acute phase, while after transformation of the process to the chronic phase phospholipase pathway predominated.

Functional activity of sphingomyelin cycle in rat liver in chronic toxic hepatitis.

Activities of sphingomyelinase and ceramidase decreased in the liver in chronic toxic hepatitis and the balance between the levels of proapoptotic ceramide and antiapoptotic sphyngosine-1-phosphate shifts towards the latter substance. Pronounced changes in the qualitative and quantitative composition of fatty acids in the sphingomyelin cycle effector molecules were revealed.