source of dietary fatty acids alters the activity of secretory sphingomyelinase in the rat

Secretory sphingomyelinase (sSMase) has been suggested to be involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases as well as other human pathologies. To deduce whether dietary fatty acid composition affects the circulating activity of this enzyme, we have compared its activity in serum from rats that had been given a diet containing either butter or a highly n-6 polyunsaturated [grapeseed oil (GSO)] fat source for 14 wk. The results show that intake of GSO increases the activity of this ceramide-producing enzyme by about 45%, when compared with intake of butter (387 ± 16 pmol/mL·h vs. 266 ± 15 pmol/mL·h; p