Increased Acid Sphingomyelinase Activity in Peripheral Blood Cells of Acutely Intoxicated Patients With Alcohol Dependence

Background: Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM; EC 3.1.4.12) hydrolyses membrane sphingomyelin into the bioactive lipid ceramide and is thus involved in different cellular processes such as differentiation, immunity, or cell death. Activation of ASM has been reported in particular in conjunction with the cellular stress response to several external stimuli, and increased ASM activity was observed in a variety of human diseases. Ethanol‐induced activation of ASM has been observed in different cell culture systems, thus raising the question about the effect of alcohol intoxication in human subjects on ASM activity in vivo.