N,N-Dimethylsphingosine Explained

N,N-Dimethylsphingosine (also known as DMS) is an inhibitor of sphingosine kinase.^{[1] [2]}

In rats with neuropathic pain, the natural metabolite DMS is unregulated in the dorsal horn. Furthermore, DMS induces mechanical hypersensitivity when injected into rats.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Yatomi Y, Ruan F, Megidish T, Toyokuni T, Hakomori S, Igarashi Y . Sen-itiroh Hakomori. N,N-dimethylsphingosine inhibition of sphingosine kinase and sphingosine 1-phosphate activity in human platelets . Biochemistry . 35 . 2 . 626–33 . January 1996 . 8555236 . 10.1021/bi9515533 .
2. Edsall LC, Van Brocklyn JR, Cuvillier O, Kleuser B, Spiegel S . N,N-Dimethylsphingosine is a potent competitive inhibitor of sphingosine kinase but not of protein kinase C: modulation of cellular levels of sphingosine 1-phosphate and ceramide . Biochemistry . 37 . 37 . 12892–8 . September 1998 . 9737868 . 10.1021/bi980744d .
3. Patti GJ, Yanes O, Shriver LP, Courade JP, Tautenhahn R, Manchester M, Siuzdak G. Gary Siuzdak . Metabolomics implicates altered sphingolipids in chronic pain of neuropathic origin . Nature Chemical Biology . 2012 . 10.1038/nchembio.767 . 8 . 232–234 . 22267119 . 3567618.