FTY720, a novel immunosuppressant, elevated the level of endogenous sphingoid bases in a dose-dependent manner within 3 hr in $LLC-PK_1$ cells. The relative molar ratio of sphingoid bases expressed as sphingosine/sphinganine (SPN/SPA), a biomarker of altered sphingolipid biosynthesis, in $10{;}{mu}M$ of FTY720 showed tow-fold increase as compared with the one in control culture. FTY720 under the serum-free medium condition increased only cytosolic free sphingosine concentration, not sphinganine concentration in a time-dependent manner over the 8 hr incubation under the same condition as in serum free cultures, the SPN/SPA ratio began to fluctuate and the number of floating cells as an indicator of cytotoxicity was increased 8 hr after the addition of FTY720 to cultured cells. These results suggest that the process of FTY720-induced cell death in $LLC-PK_1$ cells.