Change in Contents of Biologically Active Sphingolipids Modulating Cell Growth and Survival in Hepatoma 27 Compared to Rat Liver

A. G. Kandyba¹, V. A. Kobliakov², O. G. Somova¹, and E. V. Dyatlovitskaya^1*

¹Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, Moscow 117997, Russia; E-mail: dyatl@ibch.ru

²Institute of Carcinogenesis, Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Center, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Kashirskoe Shosse 24, Moscow 115478, Russia; E-mail: vakob@crc.umos.ru

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received June 5, 2003; Revision received August 21, 2003

---

The contents of bioactive sphingolipids (sphingomyelin, ceramide, glucosyl- and lactosylceramides, gangliosides) were studied in rat hepatoma 27 and rat liver. The amounts of sphingomyelin, ceramide, and glucosyl- and lactosylceramides were about twofold and that of gangliosides was about 3.5-fold increased in the tumor compared to normal tissue. Since sphingomyelin promotes angiogenesis, glucosyl- and lactosylceramides stimulate proliferation, gangliosides inhibit apoptosis, but ceramides suppress proliferation and stimulate apoptosis, it is obvious that the balance of these effectors in hepatoma 27 moves with the tumor growth.

---

KEY WORDS: sphingolipids, gangliosides, glucosylceramide, lactosylceramide, tumor, sphingomyelin, proliferation, apoptosis

---