title: HDL quality or cholesterol cargo: what really matters--spotlight on sphingosine-1-phosphate-rich HDL.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The absolute level of HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) may not be the only criterion contributing to their antiatherothrombotic effects. This review focuses on evidence in support of the concept that HDL-bound sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) plays a role in different HDL atheroprotective properties and may represent a potential target for therapeutic interventions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recent large randomized clinical trials testing the hypothesis of raising HDL-C with niacin and dalcetrapib in statin-treated patients failed to improve cardiovascular outcomes. Emerging evidence suggests that many of the cardioprotective functions of HDL, such as vasodilation, angiogenesis and endothelial barrier function, protection against ischemia/reperfusion injury, and inhibition of atherosclerosis, may be attributable to its S1P cargo. HDL-associated S1P may represent a future therapeutic target.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HDL functionality is affected by its composition and there is evidence to suggest S1P plays a role in some of HDL's functions and atheroprotective properties.
authors: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. eeegom@aol.com
authors: Emmanuel E
authors: EE
authors: Egom
authors: Mamas A
authors: MA
authors: Mamas
authors: Handrean
authors: H
authors: Soran
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000502:physiology*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008246:Lysophospholipids / Q000502:physiology*; D009525:Niacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D007211:Indoles; D008246:Lysophospholipids; C518174:MK-0524; D009525:Niacin; C060506:sphingosine 1-phosphate; D013110:Sphingosine