Acidic sphingomyelinase induced by electrophiles promotes proinflammatory cytokine production in human bladder carcinoma ECV-304 cells

► Electrophiles induce ASMase expression in human bladder carcinoma cells. ► Electrophile pretreatment enhances the induction of IL-6 by TNF-α. ► Increase of ASMase activity involves in enhancement of TNF-α-induced IL-6 expression. ► Lipid rafts formation induced by ASMase promotes the sensitivity to TNF-α.