title: The red blood cell participates in regulation of the circulation by producing and releasing epoxyeicosatrienoic acids.
abstract: Red blood cells (RBCs) have an important function in regulation of the circulation by producing and releasing epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) in response to a low O₂ environment such as encountered in the cardiac microcirculation during exercise. RBCs, in their role as sensors of low pO₂, release ATP and critical lipid mediators, the EETs. Both cis- and trans-EETs are synthesized and stored in RBCs and are hydrolyzed by soluble epoxide hydrolases (sEH). The trans-EETs differ from cis-EETs in their higher vascular potencies and more rapid metabolism by sEH. Thus, inhibition of sEH results in greater trans-EET levels and increased positive vascular effects of trans-EETs vs cis-EETs. The trans-EETs are responsible for a significant decline in the elevated blood pressure in the spontaneously hypertensive rat on treatment with a sEH inhibitor to raise EET levels. We predict that trans-EETs and cis-EETs will occupy important therapeutic roles in a broad spectrum of diseases and abnormal physiological conditions such as that resulting from high salt intake and hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Houli
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Gail D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: McGiff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015777:Eicosanoids / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015777:Eicosanoids