C12-Ceramide

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C12-Ceramide (C12 Ceramide (d18:1/12:0)), a ceramide present in the protective membranes surrounding umbilical cord blood vessels in infants born to women with pre-eclampsia, can be used to assess the level of ASM activity in the plasma of patients with Niemann-Pick disease.

C12 ceramide is a naturally occurring ceramide that is formed when C12 sphingomyelin is hydrolyzed by acid sphingomyelinase (ASM). It is a substrate for acid ceramidase, an enzyme that has 2- to 12-fold higher activity in fibroblasts from patients with Farber disease, a lipid storage disorder. C12 ceramide is found in the Wharton's jelly, a protective coating that surrounds umbilical cord vessels, of babies born to women with pre-eclampsia. BODIPY C12 ceramide has been used to assess levels of ASM activity in plasma of patients with type A or B Niemann-Pick disease.