Head trauma in sports - clinical characteristics, epidemiology and biomarkers.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is clinically divided into a spectrum of severities, with mild TBI being the least severe form and a frequent occurrence in contact sports, such as ice hockey, American football, rugby, horse riding and boxing. Mild TBI is caused by blunt nonpenetrating head trauma that causes movement of the brain and stretching and tearing of axons, with diffuse axonal injury being a central pathogenic mechanism. Mild TBI is in principle synonymous with concussion; both have similar criteria in which the most important elements are acute alteration or loss of consciousness and/or post-traumatic amnesia following head trauma and no apparent brain changes on standard neuroimaging. Symptoms in mild TBI are highly variable and there are no validated imaging or fluid biomarkers to determine whether or not a patient with a normal computerized tomography scan of the brain has neuronal damage. Mild TBI typically resolves within a few weeks but 10-15% of concussion patients develop postconcussive syndrome. Repetitive mild TBI, which is frequent in contact sports, is a risk factor for a complicated recovery process. This overview paper discusses the relationships between repetitive head impacts in contact sports, mild TBI and chronic neurological symptoms. What are these conditions, how common are they, how are they linked and can they be objectified using imaging or fluid-based biomarkers? It gives an update on the current state of research on these questions with a specific focus on clinical characteristics, epidemiology and biomarkers.

Longitudinal relationships among depressive symptoms, cortisol, and brain atrophy in the neocortex and the hippocampus.

OBJECTIVE: Depression is associated with accelerated aging and age-related diseases. However, mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. The aim of this study was to longitudinally assess the link between depressive symptoms, brain atrophy, and cortisol levels. METHOD: Participants from the Betula prospective cohort study (mean age = 59 years, SD = 13.4 years) underwent clinical, neuropsychological and brain 3T MRI assessments at baseline and a 4-year follow-up. Cortisol levels were measured at baseline in four saliva samples. Cortical and hippocampal atrophy rates were estimated and compared between participants with and without depressive symptoms (n = 81) and correlated with cortisol levels (n = 49). RESULTS: Atrophy in the left superior frontal gyrus and right lingual gyrus developed in parallel with depressive symptoms, and in the left temporal pole, superior temporal cortex, and supramarginal cortex after the onset of depressive symptom. Depression-related atrophy was significantly associated with elevated cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol levels were also associated with widespread prefrontal, parietal, lateral, and medial temporal atrophy. CONCLUSION: Depressive symptoms and elevated cortisol levels are associated with atrophy of the prefrontal and limbic areas of the brain.

Functional brain imaging of episodic memory decline in ageing.

The episodic long-term memory system supports remembering of events. It is considered to be the most age-sensitive system, with an average onset of decline around 60 years of age. However, there is marked interindividual variability, such that some individuals show faster than average change and others show no or very little change. This variability may be related to the risk of developing dementia, with elevated risk for individuals with accelerated episodic memory decline. Brain imaging with functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signalling or positron emission tomography (PET) has been used to reveal the brain bases of declining episodic memory in ageing. Several studies have demonstrated a link between age-related episodic memory decline and the hippocampus during active mnemonic processing, which is further supported by studies of hippocampal functional connectivity in the resting state. The hippocampus interacts with anterior and posterior neocortical regions to support episodic memory, and alterations in hippocampus-neocortex connectivity have been shown to contribute to impaired episodic memory. Multimodal MRI studies and more recently hybrid MRI/PET studies allow consideration of various factors that can influence the association between the hippocampal BOLD signal and memory performance. These include neurovascular factors, grey and white matter structural alterations, dopaminergic neurotransmission, amyloid-Β and glucose metabolism. Knowledge about the brain bases of episodic memory decline can guide interventions to strengthen memory in older adults, particularly in those with an elevated risk of developing dementia, with promising results for combinations of cognitive and physical stimulation.

Fractional anisotropy in the substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease: a complex picture.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study employs magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diffusion tensor imaging to compare diffusion measures in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with healthy controls using longitudinal data. METHODS: One-hundred and twenty-two patients and 34 controls were included at baseline. The MRI investigations were repeated after 1, 3 and 5 years. The diffusion measures were quantified using fractional anisotropy and mean, radial and axial diffusion (FA, MD, RD, AD). Regions of interest included the anterior, middle and posterior substantia nigra (SN), but also other areas. Linear models were used to test for the effect of disease and hemispheric lateralization. The P value was set at 0.05 (Bonferroni corrected). RESULTS: Fractional anisotropy and AD were increased in the three nigral subareas in PD (P < 0.01), but MD and RD were unaltered. The right SN had higher FA than the left in all subareas (P < 0.01). MD and AD were increased in the right anterior part (P < 0.04), whereas MD and RD were decreased in the right middle and posterior parts (P < 0.001). The left middle cerebellar peduncle had increased FA and AD (P < 0.001) and decreased MD and RD (P < 0.01) compared to the right. Diffusion measures did not progress over time and side differences were not related to disease or lateralization of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Increased FA in the SN in PD indicates gliosis and inflammation in the nuclei, but possibly also intrusion of surrounding fibres into the shrinking structure. The hemispheric side differences of diffusion might reflect natural lateralization of connectivity, but their relation to PD must be studied further.

Randomized multicenter clinical trial of myofascial physical therapy in women with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome and pelvic floor tenderness.

PURPOSE: We determined the efficacy and safety of pelvic floor myofascial physical therapy compared to global therapeutic massage in women with newly symptomatic interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized controlled trial of 10 scheduled treatments of myofascial physical therapy vs global therapeutic massage was performed at 11 clinical centers in North America. We recruited women with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome with demonstrable pelvic floor tenderness on physical examination and a limitation of no more than 3 years' symptom duration. The primary outcome was the proportion of responders defined as moderately improved or markedly improved in overall symptoms compared to baseline on a 7-point global response assessment scale. Secondary outcomes included ratings for pain, urgency and frequency, the O'Leary-Sant IC Symptom and Problem Index, and reports of adverse events. We compared response rates between treatment arms using the exact conditional version of the Mantel-Haenszel test to control for clustering by clinical center. For secondary efficacy outcomes cross-sectional descriptive statistics and changes from baseline were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 81 women randomized to the 2 treatment groups had similar symptoms at baseline. The global response assessment response rate was 26% in the global therapeutic massage group and 59% in the myofascial physical therapy group (p=0.0012). Pain, urgency and frequency ratings, and O'Leary-Sant IC Symptom and Problem Index decreased in both groups during followup, and were not significantly different between the groups. Pain was the most common adverse event, occurring at similar rates in both groups. No serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: A significantly higher proportion of women with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome responded to treatment with myofascial physical therapy than to global therapeutic massage. Myofascial physical therapy may be a beneficial therapy in women with this syndrome.

Age-related differences in white matter microstructure: region-specific patterns of diffusivity.

We collected MRI diffusion tensor imaging data from 80 younger (20-32 years) and 63 older (60-71 years) healthy adults. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis revealed that white matter integrity, as indicated by decreased fractional anisotropy (FA), was disrupted in numerous structures in older compared to younger adults. These regions displayed five distinct region-specific patterns of age-related differences in other diffusivity properties: (1) increases in both radial and mean diffusivity; (2) increases in radial diffusivity; (3) no differences in parameters other than FA; (4) a decrease in axial and an increase in radial diffusivity; and (5) a decrease in axial and mean diffusivity. These patterns suggest different biological underpinnings of age-related decline in FA, such as demyelination, Wallerian degeneration, gliosis, and severe fiber loss, and may represent stages in a cascade of age-related degeneration in white matter microstructure. This first simultaneous description of age-related differences in FA, mean, axial, and radial diffusivity requires histological and functional validation as well as analyses of intermediate age groups and longitudinal samples.

Motor imagery: if you can't do it, you won't think it.

Since long, motor imagery has been recognized as a method for studying motor representations. In the last few years, important advances regarding the use of motor imagery have been made. In particular, issues concerning the functional equivalence between imagery and action have been addressed, and how equivalence affects the use of imagery to study motor representations. In this paper, we review recent findings in order to highlight the current state of knowledge about motor imagery and its relation to motor action. Three topics are discussed: (i) the imagery perspective, (ii) task complexity, and (iii) the importance of physical experience. It is shown how theses factors are closely related and how previous studies may have underestimated to what extent these factors affect the interpretation of results. Practical implications for imagery interventions are considered. It is concluded that if you cannot perform an action physically, you cannot imagine it in a way that is necessary for a high degree of functional equivalence.

Importance of enjoyment when promoting physical exercise.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the importance of enjoyment of exercise in a health care-based intervention aimed at promoting physical exercise in primary health care patients. In a controlled study design, the intervention group was offered a wide range of group exercises over 3 months, followed by support in designing their own exercise program. The control group received usual care. Enjoyment of exercise and exercise level were measured. Associations between enjoyment and exercise level were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients. Changes in enjoyment between and within study groups were analyzed by the independent and paired t-test. Associations were found between enjoyment and exercise level (r=0.36, P<0.01), as well as between changes in enjoyment and changes in exercise level (r=0.34, P<0.01). At the 12-month follow-up, enjoyment of exercise was 25% higher in the intervention group than in the control group (P<0.01). In this group of primary health care patients, enjoyment of exercise was associated with exercise level. Enjoyment of exercise seems to be a mediator of exercise level. Furthermore, health care-based interventions seem to be able to affect enjoyment of exercise. Enjoyment of exercise may be important for the long-term effectiveness, of health care-based interventions.

Grapefruit juice interaction with oral budesonide: equal effect on immediate-release and delayed-release formulations.

Grapefruit juice (GFJ) inhibits CYP3A activity in the gut wall, thereby decreasing first-pass metabolism of CYP3A substrates. In this study be evaluated the influence of GFJ on the systemic availability of budesonide, a CYP3A-metabolised drug, both from an extended-release (ER) formulation and plain capsules. Eight healthy men participated in this open crossover study. Three mg budesonide as ER capsules or plain capsules was swallowed with or without previous intake of GFJ. Regular-strength GFJ 200 ml was given three times a day for four days. Budesonide was administered immediately after the first intake on the fourth day. A simultaneous intravenous low dose of deuterium-labelled budesonide enabled estimation of bioavailability and absence of hepatic inhibition. Concentrations of labelled and unlabelled budesonide in plasma were measured. GFJ did not affect systemic clearance of budesonide. Although absorption of the ER formulation to a great extent occurs from ileum and proximal colon where CYP3A activity is lower than in the upper small intestine, GFJ about doubled bioavailability after both ER and plain capsules. In conclusion, regular intake of grapefruit juice doubled the bioavailability of both plain and delayed-release budesonide, probably because of inhibition of all mucosal CYP3A activity.

Brain regions differentially involved in remembering what and when: a PET study.

Recollecting a past episode involves remembering not only what happened but also when it happened. We used positron emission tomography (PET) to directly contrast the neural correlates of item and temporalorder memory. Subjects studied a list of words and were then scanned while retrieving information about what words were in the list or when they occurred within the list. Item retrieval was related to increased neural activity in medial temporal and basal forebrain regions, whereas temporal-order retrieval was associated with activations in dorsal prefrontal, cuneus/precuneus, and right posterior parietal regions. The dissociation between temporal and frontal lobe regions confirms and extends previous lesion data. The results show that temporal-order retrieval involves a network of frontal and posterior brain regions.

Altered deactivation in individuals with genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease.

Regions that show task-induced deactivations may be part of a default-mode network related to processes that are more engaged during passive than active task conditions. Alteration of task-induced deactivations with age and dementia is indicated by atypical engagement of default-mode network regions. Genetic studies show a relation between the apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) allele and the common form of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and altered functional brain activation has been observed in non-demented APOE4 carriers compared to non-carriers. Here we investigate the hypothesis of altered default-mode network brain responses in individuals with genetic risk for AD. Functional MRI was used to assess task-induced deactivation in 60 subjects of which 30 carried at least one copy of the APOE4 allele, and 30 non-carriers. Subjects were scanned while performing a semantic categorization task shown to promote episodic memory encoding. The results show patterns of deactivation consistent with the default-mode network. We also found reduced deactivation in non-demented APOE4 carriers compared to non-carriers, suggesting alterations in the default-mode network in the absence of dementia. These results implicate possibilities for investigating altered properties of task-induced deactivations in individuals with genetic risk for AD, and may prove useful for pre-clinical identification of individuals susceptible to memory problems and AD.

Muesli with 4 g oat beta-glucans lowers glucose and insulin responses after a bread meal in healthy subjects.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of an extruded muesli product based on beta-glucan-rich oat bran on postprandial glycaemia and insulinaemia. SUBJECT/DESIGN: The study is divided in two series. Blood glucose and serum insulin responses were studied after subjects consuming test meals including a serving of muesli with 3 g (series 1) and 4 g (series 2) of beta-glucans, respectively. The muesli was a component in a single serving packet with muesli and yoghurt. This was served together with white wheat bread in the morning after an overnight fast. The compositions were standardized to contain 50 g available carbohydrates. As a reference meal a serving packet without beta-glucans was included. The study was performed at Applied Nutrition and Food Chemistry, Lund University, Sweden. Nineteen and thirteen healthy volunteers with normal body mass index were recruited for series 1 and 2, respectively. RESULTS: Muesli with 3 g of beta-glucans, included in a mixed bread meal, gave no significant differences in glycaemic response compared to a reference meal without muesli and beta-glucans. In contrast, muesli with 4 g of beta-glucans significantly (P<0.05) lowered the glucose and insulin responses compared to the reference meal. CONCLUSIONS: Muesli enriched with 4 g of beta-glucans reduces postprandial glucose and insulin levels to a breakfast based on high glycaemic index products. A total of 4 g of beta-glucans from oats seems to be a critical level for a significant decrease in glucose and insulin responses in healthy people.

Healthy minds from 0-100 years: Optimising the use of European brain imaging cohorts ("Lifebrain").

The main objective of "Lifebrain" is to identify the determinants of brain, cognitive and mental (BCM) health at different stages of life. By integrating, harmonising and enriching major European neuroimaging studies across the life span, we will merge fine-grained BCM health measures of more than 5,000 individuals. Longitudinal brain imaging, genetic and health data are available for a major part, as well as cognitive and mental health measures for the broader cohorts, exceeding 27,000 examinations in total. By linking these data to other databases and biobanks, including birth registries, national and regional archives, and by enriching them with a new online data collection and novel measures, we will address the risk factors and protective factors of BCM health. We will identify pathways through which risk and protective factors work and their moderators. Exploiting existing European infrastructures and initiatives, we hope to make major conceptual, methodological and analytical contributions towards large integrative cohorts and their efficient exploitation. We will thus provide novel information on BCM health maintenance, as well as the onset and course of BCM disorders. This will lay a foundation for earlier diagnosis of brain disorders, aberrant development and decline of BCM health, and translate into future preventive and therapeutic strategies. Aiming to improve clinical practice and public health we will work with stakeholders and health authorities, and thus provide the evidence base for prevention and intervention.

Effects of a self-guided, web-based activity programme for patients with persistent musculoskeletal pain in primary healthcare: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Web-based interventions for pain management are increasingly used with possible benefits, but never used in addition to multimodal rehabilitation (MMR). MMR is recommended treatment for persistent pain in Sweden. The aim was to evaluate the effects of a self-guided, web-based programme added to MMR for work ability, pain, disability and health-related quality of life. METHODS: We included 99 participants with persistent musculoskeletal pain in a randomized study with two intervention arms: (1) MMR and web-based intervention, and (2) MMR. Data was collected at baseline, 4 and 12 months. Outcome measures were work ability, working percentage, average pain intensity, pain-related disability, and health-related quality of life. RESULTS: There were no significant effects of adding the web-based intervention to MMR regarding any of the outcome variables. CONCLUSIONS: This trial provides no support for adding a self-guided, web-based activity programme to MMR for patients with persistent musculoskeletal pain. SIGNIFICANCE: The comprehensive self-guided, web-based programme for activity, Web-BCPA, added to multimodal treatment in primary health care had no effect on work ability, pain, disability or health-related quality of life. Future web-based interventions should be tailored to patients' individual needs and expectations.

Short telomere length is associated with impaired cognitive performance in European ancestry cohorts.

The association between telomere length (TL) dynamics on cognitive performance over the life-course is not well understood. This study meta-analyses observational and causal associations between TL and six cognitive traits, with stratifications on APOE genotype, in a Mendelian Randomization (MR) framework. Twelve European cohorts (N=17 052; mean age=59.2±8.8 years) provided results for associations between qPCR-measured TL (T/S-ratio scale) and general cognitive function, mini-mental state exam (MMSE), processing speed by digit symbol substitution test (DSST), visuospatial functioning, memory and executive functioning (STROOP). In addition, a genetic risk score (GRS) for TL including seven known genetic variants for TL was calculated, and used in associations with cognitive traits as outcomes in all cohorts. Observational analyses showed that longer telomeres were associated with better scores on DSST (ß=0.051 per s.d.-increase of TL; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.024, 0.077; P=0.0002), and MMSE (ß=0.025; 95% CI: 0.002, 0.047; P=0.03), and faster STROOP (ß=-0.053; 95% CI: -0.087, -0.018; P=0.003). Effects for DSST were stronger in APOE ɛ4 non-carriers (ß=0.081; 95% CI: 0.045, 0.117; P=1.0 × 10-5), whereas carriers performed better in STROOP (ß=-0.074; 95% CI: -0.140, -0.009; P=0.03). Causal associations were found for STROOP only (ß=-0.598 per s.d.-increase of TL; 95% CI: -1.125, -0.072; P=0.026), with a larger effect in ɛ4-carriers (ß=-0.699; 95% CI: -1.330, -0.069; P=0.03). Two-sample replication analyses using CHARGE summary statistics showed causal effects between TL and general cognitive function and DSST, but not with STROOP. In conclusion, we suggest causal effects from longer TL on better cognitive performance, where APOE ɛ4-carriers might be at differential risk.

Effect of erythromycin on the absorption of fexofenadine in the jejunum, ileum and colon determined using local intubation in healthy volunteers.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the in vivo intestinal absorption mechanism(s) and systemic availability of fexofenadine in the jejunum, ileum and colon in humans. METHOD: A single dose of fexofenadine hydrochloride (60 mg as solution) was applied under fasting conditions, either alone or directly after a solution of erythromycin lactobionate (corresponding to a dose of 250 mg erythromycin), to the jejunum, ileum and colon in 6 healthy volunteers (3 male and 3 female) using a regional intubation dosing technology (Bioperm AB, Lund, Sweden). A total of 36 fexofenadine administrations were performed. The administration of fexofenadine to the specified location either alone or in combination with erythromycin was conducted in a randomized manner on 2 consecutive days with a 5-day washout period between doses. RESULTS: The plasma AUC for fexofenadine (mean +/- SEM) was higher (2.7-to 2.3-fold, p < 0.001) after application to the jejunum (1090 +/- 134 h x ng/ml) than to the ileum (404 +/- 102 h x ng/ml) or colon (476 +/- 212 h x ng/ml). No significant differences were found between application to the ileum and colon. The administration of erythromycin affected the absorption rate after jejunal application with a prolonged tmax from a median of 40 min (range 10-90 min) to a median of 3 hours (range 10-180 min) (p = 0.009). A change in tmax was not observed with application to the ileum and colon. The concomitant administration of erythromycin in the jejunum tended to increase the plasma AUC of fexofenadine from 1090 +/- 134 to 1750 +/- 305 h x ng/ml (p = 0.069). CONCLUSIONS: The systemic availability of fexofenadine was significantly higher after jejunal administration in accordance with a low permeability compound. The effects of erythromycin suggest that absorption of fexofenadine involves an uptake transport in addition to passive diffusion in the jejunum and predominantly passive diffusion in the ileum and colon.

Effects of ACTH on the ligand-binding properties of the glucocorticoid receptor exerted not only via elevated levels of corticosteroids.

Treatment of mice with ACTH not only increased plasma corticosterone levels, but also reduced the ligand-binding capacity of the glucocorticoid receptor in skeletal muscle cytosol. Non-linear Scatchard plots were obtained for the glucocorticoid receptor following ACTH treatment. This upward concave curvilinearity could not be reproduced by simply adding to the cytosol an amount of corticosterone corresponding to the increase, even though this treatment resulted in reduced binding capacity. The addition of corticosterone resulted in a slower formation of ligand-receptor complexes (lower association rate constant), which offered a partial explanation for the low binding. In addition, ACTH treatment was also found to reduce the binding capacity in adrenalectomized mice that did not respond with corticosterone elevation. However, in this case Scatchard plots were linear.

Human pituitary luteinizing hormone. Isolation and characterization of four glycoproteins with luteinizing activity.

Two major and two minor components of human luteinizing hormone (lutropin) were isolated from whole frozen pituitaries by a procedure involving extraction of homogenized pituitaries, (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, Sephadex G-100, and SE-Sephadex C-50 and electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel. The isolation procedure was monitored by both bioassays and radioimmunoassays. Contamination of the final products by other pituitary hormone activities was very low. The four lutropin components were all homogeneous by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (a sieving medium) and by free zone electrophoresis (a non-sieving medium). No heterogeneity was observed when the components were studied in the ultracentrifuge by sedimentation-equilibrium technique. The molecular weights of the components were in the range of 34 000-40 000. Sedimentation velocity experiments with the two major components revealed in each case one boundary with S20,W values of 3.2 S and 3.5 S. Further evidence for the homogeneity of the components was the observation of only one precipitin line for each component upon immunodiffusion against a rabbit anti-human lutropin serum. Amino acid and carbohydrate analyses indicated close similarity among the four components. From the analysis data the molecular weights of the components were calculated to be 31 000-33 000.

Alkaline sphingomyelinase activity in rat gastrointestinal tract: distribution and characteristics.

Previous studies indicated that there was an alkaline sphingomyelinase (SMase) activity in small intestine, but its properties have not been studied in detail. In the present work, we studied the distribution of this enzyme activity in rat gastrointestinal tract and characterized it in intestinal mucosal homogenates. Little alkaline SMase activity was detected in the stomach and the duodenum. The activity in both mucosa and intestinal content increased in the small intestine and reached the maximum at the distal jejunum, then declined in the ileum and slightly increased again in the colon. The activity distribution pattern differed markedly from those of acid SMase and alkaline phosphatase. Little alkaline SMase activity could be found in bile, liver and pancreas before or after treatment with trypsin. The optimum pH of the alkaline SMase was 9. It specifically hydrolyzed sphingomyelin (SM), not phosphatidylcholine, to ceramide and phosphocholine. The alkaline SMase was bile salt dependent and was optionally activated by 3 mM bile salts. Triton X-100 could not mimic the effect of bile salt, rather dose-dependently inhibited the enzyme activity. Ca2+, Mg2+ did not change the alkaline SMase activity in the presence of bile salts, and reduced the activity in the absence of bile salt. Trypsin inactivated acid SMase in pancreas, liver and duodenum but had no influence on intestinal alkaline SMase activity. In conclusion, the intestinal alkaline SMase has a specific distribution pattern and the characters of it differ in several respects from the known acid and neutral SMases.

Identification of an alkaline sphingomyelinase activity in human bile.

The hydrolysis of sphingomyelin has been found to generate important signals regulating cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. However, the enzymes responsible for digestion of dietary sphingomyelin have not been well documented. This study demonstrates the occurrence of a sphingomyelinase (SMase) in both human hepatic bile and gallbladder bile. The enzyme was equally found in both bacteria negative and positive bile samples and in samples obtained from patients with or without gallbladder diseases. A bacteria-free gallbladder bile was used for characterization. It was found that bile SMase hydrolyzed sphingomyelin to phosphorylcholine and ceramide with negligible activity against either phosphatidylcholine or p-nitrophenyl phosphate. The enzyme preferred an alkaline condition and the optimal pH was 9. The activity of this alkaline SMase was bile salt dependent and was fully activated by 4-6 mM bile salts. Triton X-100, the non-ionic detergent did not activate bile SMase. Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions had no significant effect at optimal bile salt concentration. The molecular mass of this enzyme was about 85 kDa as measured by Sephadex G200 gel chromatography. In conclusion, we demonstrated a SMase in bile which differs markedly from the known acid and neutral SMase. Its potential important roles in sphingomyelin digestion and gallbladder diseases require further investigation.