Abstract: Objective Sphingosine-1-phosphate(S1P) is a sphingolipid metabolite which has dual actions of both an intracellular second messenger and a ligand for a family of G protein-coupled receptors.It has been implicated in many and diverse biological processes,such as cell growth,cell survival,angiogenesis,cell migration and differentiation,and more recently,in the regulation of immune function.In the present study,the aim is to establish a method for the measurement of S1P from biological samples.Methods The method consists of two steps of sample pretreatment:the enzymatic dephosphorylation of sphingid-1-phosphate by alkaline phosphatase and the subsequent analysis of o-phthalaldehyde(OPA) derivatives of the liberated sphingid by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).Results We presented a very simple,fast,and sensitive method for determination of S1P in mice serum and liver tissue.The concentrations of S1P in these samples were(1.72±0.40)μmol/L and(150±25)pmol/g,respectively.Conclusion The method for the quantification of S1P by HPLC is essential to further investigate the possible role S1P in health and disease.

Key words: sphingosine-1-phosphate, sphingosine, HPLC