OBJECTIVE

Effective therapies are needed to reverse the increased vascular permeability that characterizes acute inflammatory diseases such as acute lung injury. FTY720 is a pharmaceutical analog of the potent barrier-enhancing phospholipid, sphingosine 1-phosphate. Because both FTY720 and sphingosine 1-phosphate have properties that may limit their usefulness in patients with acute lung injury, alternative compounds are needed for therapeutic use. The objective of this study is to characterize the effects of FTY720 (S)-phosphonate, a novel analog of FTY720-phosphate, on variables of pulmonary vascular permeability in vitro and alveolar-capillary permeability in vivo.

SETTING

University-affiliated research institute.

SUBJECTS

Cultured human pulmonary endothelial cells; C57BL/6 mice.

INTERVENTIONS

Endothelial cells were stimulated with sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 agonists to determine effects on sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 expression. Acute lung injury was induced in C57BL/6 mice with bleomycin to assess effects of sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 agonists.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

FTY720 (S)-phosphonate potently increases human pulmonary endothelial cell barrier function in vitro as measured by transendothelial electrical resistance. Reduction of sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 with small interference RNA significantly attenuates this transendothelial electrical resistance elevation. FTY720 (S)-phosphonate maintains endothelial sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 protein expression in contrast to greater than 50% reduction after incubation with sphingosine 1-phosphate, FTY720, or other sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 agonists. FTY720 (S)-phosphonate does not induce β-arrestin recruitment, sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 ubiquitination, and proteosomal degradation that occur after other agonists. Intraperitoneal administration of FTY720 (S)-phosphonate every other day for 1 week in normal or bleomycin-injured mice maintains significantly higher lung sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 expression compared with FTY720. FTY720 fails to protect against bleomycin-induced acute lung injury in mice, while FTY720 (S)-phosphonate significantly decreases lung leak and inflammation.

CONCLUSION

FTY720 (S)-phosphonate is a promising barrier-promoting agent that effectively maintains sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 levels and improves outcomes in the bleomycin model of acute lung injury.