Progressive Disruption of Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptor 1 Correlates with Blood-Brain Barrier Leakage in A Rat Model of Chronic Hypoxic Hypoperfusion.

Endothelial dysfunction and blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage have been suggested as a fundamental role in the development of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) pathology. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that link cerebral hypoxic hypoperfusion and BBB disruption remain elusive. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) regulates the BBB integrity by binding to its receptor isoform 1 (S1PR) on endothelial cells. This study tested the hypothesis that hypoxic hypoperfusion triggers capillary endothelial S1PR disruption, which compromises BBB integrity and leads to SVD-related neuropathological changes, using a chronic hypoxic hypoperfusion model with BBB dysfunction. Spontaneously hypertensive rat stroke-prone underwent unilateral carotid artery occlusion (UCAO) followed by a Japanese permissive diet (JPD) for up to 9 weeks. Selective S1PR agonist SEW2871 was used to activate S1PR. Significant progressive reduction of S1PR was detected in rat brains from 4 to 9 weeks following UCAO/JPD onset, which was also detected in cerebral vasculature in human SVD. S1PR activation by SEW2871 significantly reduced lesions in both white and grey matter and ameliorated cerebral blood flow. SEW2871 reversed the loss of endothelial S1PR and tight junction proteins, and significantly attenuated UCAO/JPD induced accumulation of neuronal phosphorylated tau. This protective role of SEW2871 is associated with promotion of Akt phosphorylation and inhibition of S1PR/Erk1/2 activation. Our data suggest S1PR signalling as a potential molecular mechanistic basis that links hypoxic hypoperfusion with BBB damage in the neuropathological cascades in SVD. The reversal of BBB disruption through pharmacological intervention of S1PR signalling likely reveals a novel therapeutic target for SVD.