Sphingosine‐1‐phosphate improves outcome of no‐reflow acute myocardial infarction via sphingosine‐1‐phosphate receptor 1

AIMS: Therapeutic options targeting post‐ischaemic cardiac remodelling are sparse. The bioactive sphingolipid sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P) reduces ischaemia/reperfusion injury. However, its impact on post‐ischaemic remodelling independently of its infarct size (IS)‐reducing effect is yet unknown and was addressed in this study. METHODS AND RESULTS: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in mice was induced by permanent ligation of the left anterior descending artery (LAD). C57Bl6 were treated with the S1P lyase inhibitor 4‐deoxypyridoxine (DOP) starting 7 days prior to AMI to increase endogenous S1P concentrations. Cardiac function and myocardial healing were assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI), murine echocardiography, histomorphology, and gene expression analysis. DOP effects were investigated in cardiomyocyte‐specific S1P receptor 1 deficient (S1PR1 Cardio Cre+) and Cre− control mice and S1P concentrations measured by LC‐MS/MS. IS and cardiac function did not differ between control and DOP‐treated groups on day one after LAD‐ligation despite fourfold increase in plasma S1P. In contrast, cardiac function was clearly improved and myocardial scar size reduced, respectively, on Day 21 in DOP‐treated mice. The latter also exhibited smaller cardiomyocyte size and reduced embryonic gene expression. The benefit of DOP treatment was abolished in S1PR1 Cardio Cre+. CONCLUSIONS: S1P improves cardiac function and myocardial healing post AMI independently of initial infarct size and accomplishes this via the cardiomyocyte S1PR1. Hence, in addition to its beneficial effects on I/R injury, S1PR1 may be a promising target in post‐infarction myocardial remodelling as adjunctive therapy to revascularization as well as in patients not eligible for standard interventional procedures.