The remaining genes have a variety of functions. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor 3 (Csf3) stimulates the release granulocytes and stem cells from bone marrow into the bloodstream. Ethanol has been shown to downregulate Csf3 [52]. Smpd1, or sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase, codes for acid sphingomyelinase, which is a lipid hydrolase. Mutations in the Smpd1 gene cause types A and B Niemann-Pick disease, which is a family of metabolic disorders. While Smpd1 mRNA levels have been shown to increase with chronic alcoholic liver disease and following alcohol exposure [53], other studies have found no changes in Smpd1 mRNA levels in alcohol-fed mice [54, 55].
