Polycystic kidney disease is a disorder marked by aberrant renal tubular epithelial cell
proliferation and transport abnormalities. Sphingolipids are ubiquitous membrane
components implicated in several cellular functions including cell membrane sorting,
signaling, growth, ion transport, and adhesion. To investigate a potential pathogenic role for
sphingolipids in cystic kidney disease, we studied the sphingolipid content and associated
enzymatic activities of the kidneys from cpk/cpk mice and their phenotypically normal litter …