14-15-dihydroxyeicosatrienoic-acid and Chorioamnionitis

Chorioamnionitis (CAM) is primarily a polymicrobial bacterial infection involving chorionic and amniotic membranes that is associated with increased risk of preterm delivery. Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) are eicosanoids generated from arachidonic acid by cytochrome P450 enzymes and further metabolized mainly by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) to produce dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (DHETs). As a consequence of this metabolism of EETs, sEH reportedly exacerbates several disease states; however, its role in CAM remains unclear. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the localization of sEH and compare the changes it undergoes in the gestational tissues (placentas and fetal membranes) of women with normal-term pregnancies and those with pregnancies complicated by acute CAM; (2) study the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the expression of sEH in the human gestational tissues; and (3) investigate the effect of 12-(3-adamantan-1-yl-ureido)-dodecanoic acid (AUDA), a specific sEH inhibitor, on LPS-induced changes in 14,15-DHET and cytokines such as interleukin- (IL-) 1

Topics: 8,11,14-Eicosatrienoic Acid; Amnion; Chorioamnionitis; Epoxide Hydrolases; Female; Humans; Interleukin-1beta; Interleukin-6; Lipopolysaccharides; Placenta; Pregnancy