Aging Suppresses Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Chaperone ApoM in Circulation Resulting in Maladaptive Organ Repair

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Bi Sen Ding
  • Dawei Yang
  • Steve L. Swendeman
  • Christoffersen, Christina
  • Lars B. Nielsen
  • Scott L. Friedman
  • Charles A. Powell
  • Timothy Hla
  • Zhongwei Cao

Here, we show that the liver-derived apolipoprotein M (ApoM) protects the lung and kidney from pro-fibrotic insults and that this circulating factor is attenuated in aged mice. Aged mouse hepatocytes exhibit transcriptional suppression of ApoM. This leads to reduced sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling via the S1P receptor 1 (S1PR1) in the vascular endothelial cells of lung and kidney. Suboptimal S1PR1 angiocrine signaling causes reduced resistance to injury-induced vascular leak and leads to organ fibrosis. Plasma transfusion from Apom transgenic mice but not Apom knockout mice blocked fibrosis in the lung. Similarly, infusion of recombinant therapeutics, ApoM-Fc fusion protein enhanced kidney and lung regeneration and attenuated fibrosis in aged mouse after injury. Furthermore, we identified that aging alters Sirtuin-1-hepatic nuclear factor 4α circuit in hepatocytes to downregulate ApoM. These data reveal an integrative organ adaptation that involves circulating S1P chaperone ApoM+ high density lipoprotein (HDL), which signals via endothelial niche S1PR1 to spur regeneration over fibrosis.

Original languageEnglish
JournalDevelopmental Cell
Volume53
Issue number6
Pages (from-to)677-690
ISSN1534-5807
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

    Research areas

  • aging, endothelial cell, fibrosis, kidney repair, lipoprotein, lung regeneration, sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor, vascular barrier, vascular niche

ID: 244527597