The role of sphingolipids in respiratory disease

Sphingolipids form a broad class of lipids with diverse functions ranging from membrane constituents to intracellular second messengers and extracellular mediators. They can be rapidly generated or converted into each other and they play pivotal roles in various cellular processes, many of which are broadly associated with inflammation and apoptosis. Among the numerous sphingolipids, ceramide and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) have received the greatest attention. Ceramide is a hydrophobic molecule that is increased in the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Ceramide is the eponym for ceramide-rich membrane platforms. that need to form as a prerequisite to the uptake of several microorganisms including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and as a prerequisite to many signaling processes including apoptosis and increased vascular permeability. Accordingly, abnormal amounts of enzymes involved in the synthesis of ceramide, such as neutral or acid sphingomyelinase, are found in emphysematic smokers and in patients with severe sepsis, and are considered as novel pharmacological targets. S1P acts as an extracellular mediator that opposes several actions of ceramide and acts by binding to G-protein coupled S1P receptors (S1P(1)-S1P(5)). Of particular interest are S1P(1) receptors that enhance vascular barrier functions and are antiapoptotic. Therefore, S1P(1)-receptor ligands are suggested as novel drugs for COPD and acute lung injury. S1P is a potent chemotaxin for many leukocytes, it organizes lymphocyte trafficking and is involved in several key symptoms of asthma such as airway hyperresponsiveness and pulmonary eosinophil sequestration. S1P is formed by sphingosine kinases that have been identified as possible drug targets for the treatment of asthma. Based on these findings, several new drugs have recently been developed to specifically target sphingomyelinases, sphingosine kinases and S1P receptors for the treatment of COPD, cystic fibrosis, asthma and acute lung injury.