Blood-borne sphingosine 1-phosphate maintains vascular resistance, blood pressure, and cardiac function in mice

I Ilaria Del Gaudio (Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970) P Philippe Bonnin (Physiologie Clinique - Explorations-Fonctionnelles, Hôpital Lariboisière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris) E Emilie Vessiéres (MitoVasc Department, Team 2 (CarMe), Angers University Hospital, CNRS, INSERM U1083, Angers University) E Estelle Robidel (Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970) M Manuela C. Garcia (MitoVasc Department, Team 2 (CarMe), Angers University Hospital, CNRS, INSERM U1083, Angers University) C Coralyne Proux (MitoVasc Department, Team 2 (CarMe), Angers University Hospital, CNRS, INSERM U1083, Angers University) A Alexandre Boutigny (Physiologie Clinique - Explorations-Fonctionnelles, Hôpital Lariboisière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris) V Véronique Baudrie (Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970) H Hoa T. T. Ha (Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore) L Ludovic Couty (Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970) S Sandrine Placier (INSERM UMR-S 1155, Sorbonne Université) I Ivo Cornelissen (Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, University of California) N Nicolo Faedda (Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970) N Nesrine Mebrek (Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970) T Théo Morel (Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970) A Anja Nitzsche (Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970) T Tovo David (Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, University of California) S Stéphanie Baron (Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970) O Olivia Lenoir P Pierre-Louis Tharaux M Maria-Christina Zennaro (Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970) L Long N. Nguyen (Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore) T Timothy Hla D Daniel Henrion (MitoVasc Department, Team 2 (CarMe), Angers University Hospital, CNRS, INSERM U1083, Angers University) E Eric Camerer (Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970)

Abstract

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive lipid that circulates in plasma bound to high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and albumin. Circulating S1P levels correlate positively with systolic blood pressure (BP) in hypertension and negatively with severity in septic shock and with left ventricular function in heart disease. In mice, isolated deficiency in HDL-S1P and endothelial cell S1P receptor (R)-1 both trigger hypertension, supporting an essential role for HDL-S1P in endothelial function. Physiological roles of albumin-S1P and myocyte S1PRs in the cardiovascular system remain incompletely defined. We report that mice lacking all circulating S1P pools display hypotension and lack of BP increase with age, which contrasts with HDL-S1P deficiency and suggests an essential role for albumin-S1P in cardiovascular homeostasis. Although cardiac output was preserved in a basal state, left ventricular systolic function and contractile reserve were reduced in the absence of circulating S1P. Cardiac function and BP were partially or fully normalized by transfusion of erythrocytes capable of S1P production. Hypotension was accompanied by reduced peripheral resistance, and albumin-S1P, but not S1P complexed to an HDL-like chaperone, dose-dependently increased vascular resistance in isolated perfused kidneys via S1PR3 and S1PR2. Epistatic analysis supported a critical role for S1PR3 in S1P-dependent BP maintenance and pointed to a distinct origin of the cardiac phenotype. We thus uncover an essential role for circulating S1P in maintaining BP and left ventricular systolic function in mice. Our results also highlight distinct functions for the pools of S1P bound to HDL and to albumin, carrying both diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 123, Issue 2
Published January 13, 2026
ISSN 0027-8424
Publisher National Academy of Sciences

Authors (25)

I

Ilaria Del Gaudio

Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970

P

Philippe Bonnin

Physiologie Clinique - Explorations-Fonctionnelles, Hôpital Lariboisière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris

E

Emilie Vessiéres

MitoVasc Department, Team 2 (CarMe), Angers University Hospital, CNRS, INSERM U1083, Angers University

E

Estelle Robidel

Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970

M

Manuela C. Garcia

MitoVasc Department, Team 2 (CarMe), Angers University Hospital, CNRS, INSERM U1083, Angers University

C

Coralyne Proux

MitoVasc Department, Team 2 (CarMe), Angers University Hospital, CNRS, INSERM U1083, Angers University

A

Alexandre Boutigny

Physiologie Clinique - Explorations-Fonctionnelles, Hôpital Lariboisière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris

V

Véronique Baudrie

Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970

H

Hoa T. T. Ha

Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore

L

Ludovic Couty

Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970

S

Sandrine Placier

INSERM UMR-S 1155, Sorbonne Université

I

Ivo Cornelissen

Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, University of California

N

Nicolo Faedda

Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970

N

Nesrine Mebrek

Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970

T

Théo Morel

Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970

A

Anja Nitzsche

Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970

T

Tovo David

Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, University of California

S

Stéphanie Baron

Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970

O

Olivia Lenoir

P

Pierre-Louis Tharaux

M

Maria-Christina Zennaro

Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970

L

Long N. Nguyen

Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore

T

Timothy Hla

D

Daniel Henrion

MitoVasc Department, Team 2 (CarMe), Angers University Hospital, CNRS, INSERM U1083, Angers University

E

Eric Camerer

Université Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970