RESUMEN
RATIONALE: Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling is essential for vascular development and postnatal vascular homeostasis. The relative importance of S1P sources sustaining these processes remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To address the level of redundancy in bioactive S1P provision to the developing and mature vasculature. METHODS AND RESULTS: S1P production was selectively impaired in mouse platelets, erythrocytes, endothelium, or smooth muscle cells by targeted deletion of genes encoding sphingosine kinases -1 and -2. S1P deficiency impaired aggregation and spreading of washed platelets and profoundly reduced their capacity to promote endothelial barrier function ex vivo. However, and in contrast to recent reports, neither platelets nor any other source of S1P was essential for vascular development, vascular integrity, or hemostasis/thrombosis. Yet rapid and profound depletion of plasma S1P during systemic anaphylaxis rendered both platelet- and erythrocyte-derived S1P essential for survival, with a contribution from blood endothelium observed only in the absence of circulating sources. Recovery was sensitive to aspirin in mice with but not without platelet S1P, suggesting that platelet activation and stimulus-response coupling is needed. S1P deficiency aggravated vasoplegia in this model, arguing a vital role for S1P in maintaining vascular resistance during recovery from circulatory shock. Accordingly, the S1P2 receptor mediated most of the survival benefit of S1P, whereas the endothelial S1P1 receptor was dispensable for survival despite its importance for maintaining vascular integrity. CONCLUSIONS: Although source redundancy normally secures essential S1P signaling in developing and mature blood vessels, profound depletion of plasma S1P renders both erythrocyte and platelet S1P pools necessary for recovery and high basal plasma S1P levels protective during anaphylactic shock.
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Anafilaxia/metabolismo , Plaquetas/metabolismo , Endotelio Vascular/metabolismo , Eritrocitos/metabolismo , Homeostasis/fisiología , Lisofosfolípidos/deficiencia , Esfingosina/análogos & derivados , Anafilaxia/patología , Animales , Vasos Sanguíneos/crecimiento & desarrollo , Vasos Sanguíneos/metabolismo , Vasos Sanguíneos/patología , Endotelio Vascular/crecimiento & desarrollo , Endotelio Vascular/patología , Células Endoteliales de la Vena Umbilical Humana/metabolismo , Humanos , Ratones , Ratones de la Cepa 129 , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Transgénicos , Esfingosina/deficienciaRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a signaling lipid that regulates pathophysiological processes involved in sepsis progression, including endothelial permeability, cytokine release, and vascular tone. The aim of this study was to investigate whether serum-S1P concentrations are associated with disease severity in patients with sepsis. METHODS: This single-center prospective-observational study includes 100 patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) plus infection (n = 40), severe sepsis (n = 30), or septic shock (n = 30) and 214 healthy blood donors as controls. Serum-S1P was measured by mass spectrometry. Blood parameters, including C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), lactate, and white blood cells (WBCs), were determined by routine assays. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was generated and used to evaluate disease severity. RESULTS: Serum-S1P concentrations were lower in patients than in controls (P < 0.01), and the greatest difference was between the control and the septic shock groups (P < 0.01). Serum-S1P levels were inversely correlated with disease severity as determined by the SOFA score (P < 0.01) as well as with IL-6, PCT, CRP, creatinine, lactate, and fluid balance. A receiver operating characteristic analysis for the presence or absence of septic shock revealed equally high sensitivity and specificity for S1P compared with the SOFA score. In a multivariate logistic regression model calculated for prediction of septic shock, S1P emerged as the strongest predictor (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with sepsis, serum-S1P levels are dramatically decreased and are inversely associated with disease severity. Since S1P is a potent regulator of endothelial integrity, low S1P levels may contribute to capillary leakage, impaired tissue perfusion, and organ failure in sepsis.
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Lisofosfolípidos/sangre , Insuficiencia Multiorgánica/mortalidad , Sepsis/mortalidad , Esfingosina/análogos & derivados , Adulto , Femenino , Alemania , Humanos , Lisofosfolípidos/deficiencia , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Insuficiencia Multiorgánica/sangre , Estudios Prospectivos , Sepsis/sangre , Sepsis/terapia , Índice de Severidad de la Enfermedad , Esfingosina/sangre , Esfingosina/deficienciaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a complex stroke subtype characterized by an initial brain injury, followed by delayed cerebrovascular constriction and ischemia. Current therapeutic strategies nonselectively curtail exacerbated cerebrovascular constriction, which necessarily disrupts the essential and protective process of cerebral blood flow autoregulation. This study identifies a smooth muscle cell autocrine/paracrine signaling network that augments myogenic tone in a murine model of experimental SAH: it links tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, and sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling. METHODS: Mouse olfactory cerebral resistance arteries were isolated, cannulated, and pressurized for in vitro vascular reactivity assessments. Cerebral blood flow was measured by speckle flowmetry and magnetic resonance imaging. Standard Western blot, immunohistochemical techniques, and neurobehavioral assessments were also used. RESULTS: We demonstrate that targeting TNFα and sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling in vivo has potential therapeutic application in SAH. Both interventions (1) eliminate the SAH-induced myogenic tone enhancement, but otherwise leave vascular reactivity intact; (2) ameliorate SAH-induced neuronal degeneration and apoptosis; and (3) improve neurobehavioral performance in mice with SAH. Furthermore, TNFα sequestration with etanercept normalizes cerebral perfusion in SAH. CONCLUSIONS: Vascular smooth muscle cell TNFα and sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling significantly enhance cerebral artery tone in SAH; anti-TNFα and anti-sphingosine-1-phosphate treatment may significantly improve clinical outcome.
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Lisofosfolípidos/biosíntesis , Esfingosina/análogos & derivados , Hemorragia Subaracnoidea/metabolismo , Hemorragia Subaracnoidea/fisiopatología , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfa/biosíntesis , Vasoconstricción/fisiología , Animales , Arterias Cerebrales/efectos de los fármacos , Arterias Cerebrales/fisiología , Marcación de Gen/métodos , Lisofosfolípidos/deficiencia , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Noqueados , Músculo Liso Vascular/efectos de los fármacos , Músculo Liso Vascular/fisiología , Técnicas de Cultivo de Órganos , Fenilefrina/administración & dosificación , Transducción de Señal/efectos de los fármacos , Transducción de Señal/fisiología , Esfingosina/biosíntesis , Esfingosina/deficiencia , Hemorragia Subaracnoidea/terapia , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfa/deficiencia , Vasoconstricción/efectos de los fármacos , Sistema Vasomotor/efectos de los fármacos , Sistema Vasomotor/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) activates a widely expressed family of G protein-coupled receptors, serves as a muscle trophic factor and activates muscle stem cells called satellite cells (SCs) through unknown mechanisms. Here we show that muscle injury induces dynamic changes in S1P signaling and metabolism in vivo. These changes include early and profound induction of the gene encoding the S1P biosynthetic enzyme SphK1, followed by induction of the catabolic enzyme sphingosine phosphate lyase (SPL) 3 days later. These changes correlate with a transient increase in circulating S1P levels after muscle injury. We show a specific requirement for SphK1 to support efficient muscle regeneration and SC proliferation and differentiation. Mdx mice, which serve as a model for muscular dystrophy (MD), were found to be S1P-deficient and exhibited muscle SPL upregulation, suggesting that S1P catabolism is enhanced in dystrophic muscle. Pharmacological SPL inhibition increased muscle S1P levels, improved mdx muscle regeneration and enhanced SC proliferation via S1P receptor 2 (S1PR2)-dependent inhibition of Rac1, thereby activating Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3), a central player in inflammatory signaling. STAT3 activation resulted in p21 and p27 downregulation in a S1PR2-dependent fashion in myoblasts. Our findings suggest that S1P promotes SC progression through the cell cycle by repression of cell cycle inhibitors via S1PR2/STAT3-dependent signaling and that SPL inhibition may provide a therapeutic strategy for MD.
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Lisofosfolípidos/farmacología , Distrofia Muscular de Duchenne/tratamiento farmacológico , Distrofia Muscular de Duchenne/metabolismo , Receptores de Lisoesfingolípidos/metabolismo , Factor de Transcripción STAT3/metabolismo , Células Satélite del Músculo Esquelético/efectos de los fármacos , Células Satélite del Músculo Esquelético/metabolismo , Esfingosina/análogos & derivados , Animales , Proliferación Celular , Femenino , Lisofosfolípidos/deficiencia , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Endogámicos mdx , Ratones Noqueados , Músculo Esquelético/efectos de los fármacos , Músculo Esquelético/lesiones , Músculo Esquelético/metabolismo , Músculo Esquelético/patología , Distrofia Muscular de Duchenne/patología , Fosfotransferasas (Aceptor de Grupo Alcohol)/deficiencia , Fosfotransferasas (Aceptor de Grupo Alcohol)/genética , Fosfotransferasas (Aceptor de Grupo Alcohol)/metabolismo , Regeneración/efectos de los fármacos , Regeneración/fisiología , Células Satélite del Músculo Esquelético/patología , Transducción de Señal/efectos de los fármacos , Esfingosina/deficiencia , Esfingosina/farmacología , Receptores de Esfingosina-1-FosfatoRESUMEN
We describe a method to visualize the migration of osteoclast precursors within intact murine bone -marrow in real time using intravital multiphoton microscopy. Conventionally, cell migration has been evaluated using in vitro systems, such as transmigration assays. Although these methods are convenient for quantification and are highly reproducible, these in vitro assay systems may not accurately reflect in vivo cellular behavior. In addition to in vitro analyses, recent technological progress in two-photon excitation-based laser microscopy has enabled the visualization of dynamic cell behavior deep inside intact living organs. Combining this imaging method with in vitro chemoattraction analyses, we have revealed that sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a lipid mediator enriched in blood, bidirectionally controls the trafficking of osteoclast precursors between the circulation and bone marrow cavities via G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).
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Huesos/citología , Huesos/metabolismo , Ensayos de Migración Celular/métodos , Quimiotaxis , Homeostasis , Lisofosfolípidos/metabolismo , Microscopía de Fluorescencia por Excitación Multifotónica , Esfingosina/análogos & derivados , Animales , Células de la Médula Ósea/citología , Movimiento Celular , Femenino , Lisofosfolípidos/deficiencia , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Noqueados , Ratones Transgénicos , Osteoclastos/citología , Osteoclastos/metabolismo , Esfingosina/deficiencia , Esfingosina/metabolismoRESUMEN
During a screen for ethylnitrosourea-induced mutations in mice affecting blood natural killer (NK) cells, we identified a strain, designated Duane, in which NK cells were reduced in blood and spleen but increased in lymph nodes (LNs) and bone marrow (BM). The accumulation of NK cells in LNs reflected a decreased ability to exit into lymph. This strain carries a point mutation within Tbx21 (T-bet), which generates a defective protein. Duane NK cells have a 30-fold deficiency in sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 5 (S1P5) transcript levels, and S1P5-deficient mice exhibit an egress defect similar to Duane. Chromatin immunoprecipitation confirms binding of T-bet to the S1pr5 locus. S1P-deficient mice exhibit a more severe NK cell egress block, and the FTY720-sensitive S1P1 also plays a role in NK cell egress from LNs. S1P5 is not inhibited by CD69, a property that may facilitate trafficking of activated NK cells to effector sites. Finally, the accumulation of NK cells within BM of S1P-deficient mice was associated with reduced numbers in BM sinusoids, suggesting a role for S1P in BM egress. In summary, these findings identify S1P5 as a T-bet-induced gene that is required for NK cell egress from LNs and BM.
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Células de la Médula Ósea/citología , Movimiento Celular , Células Asesinas Naturales/citología , Células Asesinas Naturales/metabolismo , Ganglios Linfáticos/citología , Receptores de Lisoesfingolípidos/metabolismo , Proteínas de Dominio T Box/metabolismo , Animales , Células de la Médula Ósea/efectos de los fármacos , Recuento de Células , Movimiento Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Etilnitrosourea , Clorhidrato de Fingolimod , Células Asesinas Naturales/efectos de los fármacos , Ganglios Linfáticos/efectos de los fármacos , Activación de Linfocitos/efectos de los fármacos , Lisofosfolípidos/deficiencia , Lisofosfolípidos/farmacología , Ratones , Ratones Mutantes , Mutación/genética , Glicoles de Propileno/farmacología , Esfingosina/análogos & derivados , Esfingosina/deficiencia , Esfingosina/farmacologíaRESUMEN
Activated macrophages acquire a proinflammatory (classic) or antiinflammatory (alternative) phenotype that influences atherosclerosis. The present study investigated whether sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), with its known antiinflammatory effects, could regulate the inflammatory phenotype of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse macrophages. Activation of macrophages by LPS significantly increases proinflammatory cytokine secretion. Pretreatment of macrophages with 500 nmol/L S1P markedly reduced LPS-mediated secretion of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and interleukin-12. Such antiinflammatory actions were also evident in LPS-stimulated macrophages treated with the S1P1 receptor-specific agonist SEW2871. Pharmacological antagonism of the S1P1 receptor on macrophages using the S1P1-specific antagonist VPC44116 also blocked proinflammatory cytokine secretion in response to LPS. Studies using bone marrow-derived macrophages from S1P2-deficient mice revealed that the S1P2 receptor did not play a pivotal role in this process. Thus, activation of the S1P1 receptor in mouse macrophages limits the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, we demonstrated that S1P increased arginase I activity and inhibited LPS-induced inducible NO synthase activity in LPS-treated macrophages, again through S1P1 receptor activation on macrophages. Analysis of a 1.7-kb region of the murine inducible NO synthase promoter revealed the presence of putative nuclear factor kappaB, activator protein-1, and STAT-1 response elements. Using inducible NO synthase promoter-reporter constructs, we found that S1P significantly reduced the nuclear factor kappaB-mediated induction of inducible NO synthase. These findings demonstrate an important role for S1P in the regulation of macrophage phenotypic switching. Therefore, we conclude that S1P promotes the production of an alternative antiinflammatory macrophage phenotype through activation of the macrophage S1P1 receptor.
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Inflamación , Lisofosfolípidos/fisiología , Macrófagos/inmunología , Receptores de Lisoesfingolípidos/metabolismo , Esfingosina/análogos & derivados , Animales , Células de la Médula Ósea , Células Cultivadas , Citocinas/biosíntesis , Lipopolisacáridos/farmacología , Lisofosfolípidos/deficiencia , Lisofosfolípidos/inmunología , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Óxido Nítrico Sintasa de Tipo II , Fenotipo , Receptores de Lisoesfingolípidos/inmunología , Esfingosina/deficiencia , Esfingosina/inmunología , Esfingosina/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Lymphocytes require sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor-1 to exit lymphoid organs, but the source(s) of extracellular S1P and whether S1P directly promotes egress are unknown. By using mice in which the two kinases that generate S1P were conditionally ablated, we find that plasma S1P is mainly hematopoietic in origin, with erythrocytes a major contributor, whereas lymph S1P is from a distinct radiation-resistant source. Lymphocyte egress from thymus and secondary lymphoid organs was markedly reduced in kinase-deficient mice. Restoration of S1P to plasma rescued egress to blood but not lymph, and the rescue required lymphocyte expression of S1P-receptor-1. Thus, separate sources provide S1P to plasma and lymph to help lymphocytes exit the low-S1P environment of lymphoid organs. Disruption of compartmentalized S1P signaling is a plausible mechanism by which S1P-receptor-1 agonists function as immunosuppressives.
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Médula Ósea/metabolismo , Linfocitos/fisiología , Lisofosfolípidos/biosíntesis , Lisofosfolípidos/fisiología , Esfingosina/análogos & derivados , Animales , Quimiotaxis de Leucocito/fisiología , Cromatografía Liquida , Endotelio Vascular , Femenino , Células Madre Hematopoyéticas/metabolismo , Linfocitos/metabolismo , Lisofosfolípidos/sangre , Lisofosfolípidos/deficiencia , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Fosfotransferasas (Aceptor de Grupo Alcohol)/genética , Fosfotransferasas (Aceptor de Grupo Alcohol)/metabolismo , Receptores de Lisoesfingolípidos/fisiología , Esfingosina/biosíntesis , Esfingosina/sangre , Esfingosina/deficiencia , Esfingosina/fisiología , Espectrometría de Masas en TándemRESUMEN
Patients with atopic dermatitis exhibit an increased susceptibility to cutaneous infections, especially to pathological colonization with superantigen-secreting Staphylococcus aureus. Recent attention has been focused on antimicrobial peptides, especially on cathelicidin and human beta-defensin-2, which are under-expressed in atopic skin. Antimicrobial lipids from the stratum corneum are also major contributors to cutaneous antimicrobial defense. Current aspects of biochemistry and function of antimicrobial lipids in atopic dermatitis are reviewed in detail. The major classes of stratum corneum lipids with antimicrobial activity are free fatty acids, glucosylceramides, and free sphingosines. Diminished levels of free sphingosines in the stratum corneum have recently been detected in atopic dermatitis and have been associated with the pathological colonization of atopic skin with Staphylococcus aureus. The superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin B has been shown to reduce the suppressive effect of regulatory T cells on T-cell proliferation, thus augmenting T-cell activation in patients with atopic dermatitis. The killing of superantigen-secreting bacterial strains with topically applied antimicrobial lipids offers new antiseptic and immunomodulatory options for the treatment and secondary prevention of atopic dermatitis.
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Péptidos Catiónicos Antimicrobianos/fisiología , Dermatitis Atópica/fisiopatología , Infecciones Cutáneas Estafilocócicas/fisiopatología , beta-Defensinas/fisiología , Catelicidinas , Ceramidas/deficiencia , Ácidos Grasos/fisiología , Humanos , Piel/fisiopatología , Esfingosina/deficienciaRESUMEN
Blood platelets are very unique in that they store sphingosine 1-phosphate (Sph-1-P) abundantly (possibly due to the existence of highly active sphingosine kinase and a lack of Sph-1-P lyase) and release this bioactive lipid extracellularly upon stimulation. Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) respond dramatically to this platelet-derived bioactive lipid mainly through a family of G protein-coupled Sph-1-P receptors named S1P1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, originally referred to as EDG-1, 5, 3, 6, and 8, respectively. In fact, the importance of Sph-1-P in platelet-vascular cell interactions has been revealed in a number of recent reports. Through interaction with ECs, Sph-1-P can mediate physiological wound healing processes such as vascular repair, although this important bioactive lipid can become atherogenic and thrombogenic, and cause or aggravate cardiovascular diseases especially under certain pathological conditions. On the other hand, Sph-1-P induces vasoconstriction through interaction with SMCs. It is likely that regulation of Sph-1-P biological activities is important for the therapeutical purpose to control vascular disorders. Particularly, the development of specific S1P receptor agonists or antagonists seems a reasonable strategy to selectively regulate the bioactivity of Sph-1-P, considering that a great diversity of Sph-1-P actions has been reported and that this diversity depends mainly on the S1P receptor subtype involved. In this review, I will summarize recent findings on possible roles of Sph-1-P in vascular biology and its therapeutical implications.
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Vasos Sanguíneos/fisiología , Lisofosfolípidos/fisiología , Lisofosfolípidos/uso terapéutico , Esfingosina/análogos & derivados , Enfermedades Vasculares/tratamiento farmacológico , Animales , Plaquetas/efectos de los fármacos , Células Endoteliales/efectos de los fármacos , Células Endoteliales/fisiología , Humanos , Lisofosfolípidos/sangre , Lisofosfolípidos/deficiencia , Músculo Liso Vascular/citología , Músculo Liso Vascular/efectos de los fármacos , Neovascularización Patológica/tratamiento farmacológico , Esfingosina/sangre , Esfingosina/deficiencia , Esfingosina/fisiología , Esfingosina/uso terapéuticoRESUMEN
Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and its receptor S1P1 control T-cell egress from thymus and secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs). To further define the role of S1P1 in lymphocyte trafficking, we performed adoptive transfer experiments and intravital microscopy (IVM) using both S1P1-/- lymphocytes and recipient wild-type (WT) mice treated with FTY720, an immunosuppressant that downmodulates S1P receptors. S1P1 deficiency and FTY720 caused rapid disappearance of T cells from blood, prolonged retention in SLOs, and accumulation in bone marrow, but did not alter interstitial T-cell motility in peripheral lymph nodes (PLNs) as assessed by multiphoton IVM. However, S1P1-/- lymphocytes displayed reduced short-term homing to PLNs due to attenuated integrin-mediated firm arrest in high endothelial venules (HEVs). By contrast, S1P1-/- T cells homed normally to Peyer patches (PPs), whereas S1P1-/- B cells had a marked defect in homing to PPs and arrested poorly in PP HEVs. Therefore, S1P1 not only controls lymphocyte egress from SLOs, but also facilitates in a tissue- and subset-specific fashion integrin activation during homing. Interestingly, FTY720 treatment enhanced accumulation of both S1P1 sufficient and S1P1-/- T cells in PPs by enhancing integrin-mediated arrest in HEVs. Thus, FTY720 exerts unique effects on T-cell traffic in PPs that are independent of T-cell-expressed S1P1.
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Quimiotaxis de Leucocito/efectos de los fármacos , Inmunosupresores/farmacología , Lisofosfolípidos/fisiología , Glicoles de Propileno/farmacología , Esfingosina/análogos & derivados , Linfocitos T/fisiología , Traslado Adoptivo , Animales , Quimiotaxis de Leucocito/fisiología , Clorhidrato de Fingolimod , Inmunosupresores/inmunología , Integrinas/metabolismo , Ganglios Linfáticos , Vasos Linfáticos , Recuento de Linfocitos , Linfocitos , Lisofosfolípidos/deficiencia , Lisofosfolípidos/inmunología , Ratones , Ratones Noqueados , Microscopía por Video , Ganglios Linfáticos Agregados , Glicoles de Propileno/inmunología , Esfingosina/deficiencia , Esfingosina/inmunología , Esfingosina/fisiología , Linfocitos T/efectos de los fármacosRESUMEN
The stratum corneum of the skin of patients with atopic dermatitis is highly susceptible to colonization by various bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus. The defense system of the skin against bacterial invasion appears to be significantly disrupted in atopic dermatitis skin, but little is known about the defense mechanism(s) involved. As one sphingolipid metabolite, sphingosine is known to exert a potent antimicrobial effect on S. aureus at physiologic levels, and it may play a significant role in bacterial defense mechanisms of healthy normal skin. Because of the altered ceramide metabolism in atopic dermatitis, the possible alteration of sphingosine metabolism might be associated with the acquired vulnerability to colonization by S. aureus in patients with atopic dermatitis. In this study, we measured the levels of sphingosine in the upper stratum corneum from patients with atopic dermatitis, and then compared that with the colonization levels of bacteria in the same subjects. Levels of sphingosine were significantly downregulated in uninvolved and in involved stratum corneum of patients with atopic dermatitis compared with healthy controls. This decreased level of sphingosine was relevant to the increased numbers of bacteria including S. aureus present in the upper stratum corneum from the same subjects. This suggests the possibility that the increased colonization of bacteria found in patients with atopic dermatitis may result from a deficiency of sphingosine as a natural antimicrobial agent. As for the mechanism involved in the decreased production of sphingosine in atopic dermatitis, analysis of the activities of ceramidases, major sphingosine-producing enzymes, revealed that, whereas the activity of alkaline ceramidase did not differ between patients with atopic dermatitis and healthy controls, the activity of acid ceramidase was significantly reduced in patients with atopic dermatitis and this had obvious relevance to the increased colonization of bacteria in those subjects. Further, there was a close correlation between the level of sphingosines and acid ceramidase (r = 0.65, p < 0.01) or ceramides (r = 0.70, p < 0.01) in the upper stratum corneum from the same patients with atopic dermatitis. Collectively, our results suggest the possibility that vulnerability to bacterial colonization in the skin of patients with atopic dermatitis is associated with reduced levels of a natural antimicrobial agent, sphingosine, which results from decreased levels of ceramides as a substrate and from diminished activities of its metabolic enzyme, acid ceramidase.