A method of inhibiting inflammation due to motility and invasion into blood vessel walls of neutrophils comprising administering to a host in need of treatment an inflammation inhibitory amount of an agent selected from the group consisting of sphingosine-1-phosphate, derivatives of sphingosine-1-phosphate selected from the group consisting of N,N-dimethylsphingosine-1-phosphate, N,N,N-trimethylsphingosine-1-phosphate,N-acetylsphingosine-1-phosphate, N-acylsphingosine-1-phosphate, sphingosine-1,3-diphosphate, sphingosine-3-phosphate, sphingosine-1-thiophosphate, N,N-dimethylsphingosine-1-thiophosphate and N,N,N-trimethylsphingosine-1-thiophosphate and pharmaceutically acceptable salts of said agent.