• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 2012

Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is a metabolic regulator of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs). EETs have many beneficial effects, vasodilation, anti-diabetes, anti-inflammation, cardiovascular protection, renal protection. Therefore, selective sEH inhibitors have a potential for treating these diseases. In the present study, screening methods for sEH inhibitors using PHOME ((3-phenyl-oxiranyl)-acetic acid cyano-(6-methoxynaphthalen-2-yl)-methyl ester) and 14-15-EET as substrates were established. To determine selectivity, microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) inhibition assay was also developed using styrene oxide as a substrate of microsomal epoxide hydrolase. Our results obtained from 12-[[(tricyclo[3.3.1.13,7]dec-1-ylamino)carbonyl]amino]-dodecanoic acid (AUDA) used as a positive sEH inhibitor and valpromide used as a positive mEH inhibitor showed that these methods are useful for discovery of drug candidates.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.837-846
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• 2017

As a component of the neurovascular unit, cerebral smooth muscle cells (CSMCs) are an important mediator in the development of cerebral vascular diseases such as stroke. Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) are the products of arachidonic acid catalyzed by cytochrome P450 epoxygenase. EETs are shown to exert neuroprotective effects. In this article, the role of EET in the growth and apoptosis of CSMCs and the underlying mechanisms under oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) conditions were addressed. The viability of CMSCs was decreased significantly in the OGD group, while different subtypes of EETs, especially 14,15-EET, could increase the viability of CSMCs under OGD conditions. RAPA (serine/threonine kinase Mammalian Target of Rapamycin), a specific mTOR inhibitor, could elevate the level of oxygen free radicals in CSMCs as well as the anti-apoptotic effects of 14,15-EET under OGD conditions. However, SP600125, a specific JNK (c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase) pathway inhibitor, could attenuate oxygen free radicals levels in CSMCs as well as the anti-apoptotic effects of 14,15-EET under OGD conditions. These results strongly suggest that EETs exert protective functions during the growth and apoptosis of CSMCs, via the JNK/c-Jun and mTOR signaling pathways in vitro. We are the first to disclose the beneficial roles and underlying mechanism of 14,15-EET in CSMC under OGD conditions.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.173-195
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• 2022

Like vertebrates, insects synthesize various eicosanoids after the committed catalytic step of phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂). However, the subsequent biosynthetic steps exhibit some deviation from those of vertebrates. Due to little composition of arachidonic acid in insect phospholipids, PLA₂ releases linoleic acid, which is another polyunsaturated fatty acid and relatively rich in insect phospholipids, to synthesize arachidonic acid via chain extension and desaturation. Resulting arachidonic acid is then oxygenated into a prostaglandin (PG), PGH₂, by a specific peroxidase called peroxynectin, but not by cyclooxygenase. PGH₂ is then isomerized to various PGs such as PGA₂, PGD₂, PGE₂, PGI₂, and a thromboxane (TXB₂). All four epoxyeicosatrienoic acids such as 5,6-EET, 8,9-EET, 11,12-EET, and 14,15-EET are also synthesized from arachidonic acid by oxygenation of vertebrate types of monooxygenases. However, the other type of eicosanoids called leukotrienes are found in insect tissues but their synthetic pathway is unclear. Eicosanoids mediate various insect physiological processes such as metabolism, excretion, immunity, and reproduction. Thus, identification of novel compounds interrupting eicosanoid biosynthesis would be a novel approach to develop insecticides. This review focuses on PGs and their immune mediation.

• Experimental and Molecular Medicine
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• v.50 no.11
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• pp.8.1-8.14
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• 2018

We previously demonstrated that the direct transplantation of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) into the dentate gyrus ameliorated the neurological symptoms of Niemann-Pick type C1 (NPC1)-mutant mice. However, the clinical presentation of NPC1-mutant mice was not fully understood with a molecular mechanism. Here, we found 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (14,15-EET), a cytochrome P450 (CYP) metabolite, from hUCB-MSCs and the cerebella of NPC1-mutant mice and investigated the functional consequence of this metabolite. Our screening of the CYP2J family indicated a dysregulation in the CYP system in a cerebellar-specific manner. Moreover, in Purkinje cells, CYP2J6 showed an elevated expression level compared to that of astrocytes, granule cells, and microglia. In this regard, we found that one CYP metabolite, 14,15-EET, acts as a key mediator in ameliorating cholesterol accumulation. In confirming this hypothesis, 14,15-EET treatment reduced the accumulation of cholesterol in human NPC1 patient-derived fibroblasts in vitro by suppressing cholesterol synthesis and ameliorating the impaired autophagic flux. We show that the reduced activity within the CYP system in the cerebellum could cause the neurological symptoms of NPC1 patients, as 14,15-EET treatment significantly rescued cholesterol accumulation and impaired autophagy. We also provide evidence that the intranasal administration of hUCB-MSCs is a highly promising alternative to traumatic surgical transplantation for NPC1 patients.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.113-117
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• 2020

Cytochrome P450 2J2 (CYP2J2) is a member of the cytochrome P450 superfamily, and is known to be arachidonic acid epoxygenase that mediates the formation of four bioactive regioisomers of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs). CYP2J2 is also involved in the metabolism of drugs such as albendazole, astemizole, danazol, ebastine, and terfenadine. CYP2J2 is highly expressed in the heart and cancer tissues. In this study, the inhibitory potential of ten natural products against CYP2J2 activity was evaluated using human liver microsomes and tandem mass spectrometry. Among them, bilobetin, which is a kind of biflavonoid, exhibits a strong inhibitory effect against the CYP2J2-mediated astemizole O-demethylation (IC50 = 0.73 μM) and terfenadine hydroxylation (IC50 = 0.89 μM). This result suggests that bilobetin can be used as strong CYP2J2 inhibitor in drug metabolism study.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.471-477
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• 2000

In the rabbit renal artery, acetylcholine $(ACh,\;1\;nM{\sim}10\;{\mu}M)$ induced endothelium-dependent relaxation of arterial rings precontracted with norepinephrine $(NE,\;1\;{\mu}M)$ in a dose-dependent manner. $N^G-nitro- L-arginine$ (L-NAME, 0.1 mM), an inhibitor of NO synthase, or ODQ $(1\;{\mu}M),$ a soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor, partially inhibited the ACh-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation. The ACh-induced relaxation was abolished in the presence of 25 mM KCl and L-NAME. The cytochrome P450 inhibitors, 7- ethoxyresorufin $(7-ER,\;10\;{\mu}M),$ miconazole $(10\;{\mu}M),$ or 17-octadecynoic acid $(17-ODYA,\;10\;{\mu}M),$ failed to inhibit the ACh-induced relaxation in the presence of L-NAME. 11,12-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid $(11,12-EET,\;10\;{\mu}M)$ had no relaxant effect. The ACh-induced relaxation observed in the presence of L-NAME was significantly reduced by a combination of iberiotoxin $(0.3\;{\mu}M)$ and apamin $(1\;{\mu}M),$ and almost completely blocked by 4-aminopyridine (5 mM). The ACh-induced relaxation was antagonized by $P_{2Y}$ receptor antagonist, cibacron blue $(10\;and\;100\;{\mu}M),$ in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, 2-methylthio-ATP (2MeSATP), a potent $P_{2Y}$ agonist, induced the endothelium-dependent relaxation, and this relaxation was markedly reduced by either the combination of iberiotoxin and apamin or by cibacron blue. In conclusion, in renal arteries isolated from rabbit, ACh produced non-NO relaxation that is mediated by an EDHF. The results also suggest that ACh may activate the release of ATP from endothelial cells, which in turn activates $P_{2Y}$ receptor on the endothelial cells. Activation of endothelial $P_{2Y}$ receptors induces a release of EDHF resulting in a vasorelaxation via a mechanism that involves activation of both the voltage-gated $K^+$ channels and the $Ca^{2+}-activated\;K^+\;channels$. The results further suggest that EDHF does not appear to be a cytochrome P450 metabolite.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1558-1564
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• 2011

Cytochrome P450 2J2 (CYP2J2) plays important roles in the metabolism of endogenous metabolites such as arachidonic acid as well as therapeutic drugs. CYP2J2 is overexpressed in human cancer tissues and cancer cell lines, as well as in epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) and CYP2J2-mediated metabolites, and prevent apoptosis of cancer cells. This study aimed to screen marketed drugs for inhibitory potential on CYP2J2 isoforms using human liver microsomes. The initial screen isolated 4 compounds, from 120 marketed drugs, that inhibited the CYP2J2-mediated astemizole O-demethylation more than 50% in the following the order: haloperidol (75%) > terfenadine (56%) > aripiprazole (55%) > miconazole (52%). Miconazole strongly inhibited CYP2J2-mediated ebastine hydroxylation ($IC_{50}$=11.2 ${\mu}M$) and terfenadine hydroxylation ($IC_{50}$=2.2 ${\mu}M$), and terfenadine also inhibited CYP2J2-mediated ebastine hydroxylation ($IC_{50}$=13.6 ${\mu}M$) in a dose dependent manner. The present data suggest that these drugs are potential candidates for further evaluation for their anti-cancer activities.