Abstract 309: Role of Hemeoxygenase in the Reno-Protective Effects of Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Inhibition In Diabetic Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

We previously showed that inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) increased epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) levels and reduced renal injury in diabetic mice and these changes were associated with induction of hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1). The present study determines whether the inhibition of HO negates the reno-protective effect of sEH inhibition in diabetic spontaneously hypertensive rats as a model of diabetic nephropathy in which hypertension coexists with diabetes. After six weeks of induction of diabetes with streptozotocin, SHR were divided into the following groups: untreated, treated with the sEH inhibitor, trans -4-[4-(3-adamantan-1-yl-ureido)-cyclohexyloxy]-benzoic acid (AUCB), treated with the HO inhibitor, stannous mesoporphyrin (SnMP), and treated with both inhibitors for four more weeks; non diabetic SHR served as a control group. Although inhibition of sEH increased renal EETs/DHETEs ratio and HO-1 activity in diabetic SHR, it did not significantly alter blood pressure (plasma EETs/DHETEs ratio was 0.5± 0.1 in AUCB-treated vs. 0.1± 0.01 in untreated diabetic SHR, P<0.05). Treatment of diabetic SHR with AUCB reduced the elevation in urinary albumin and nephrin excretion (albuminuria was 6.5± 0.5 in AUCB-treated diabetic SHR vs. 9± 1.7 mg/day in untreated diabetic SHR and nephrinuria was 70±11 in AUCB-treated diabetic SHR vs. 111± 9 μg/day in untreated diabetic SHR, P<0.05) whereas co-administration of SnMP with AUCB prevented these changes (albuminuria was 10.6± 0.6 mg/day and nephrinuria was 91±11 μg/day). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed elevations in renal fibrosis and apoptosis as evidenced by increased renal TGF-β, fibronectin and annexin V expression in diabetic SHR and these changes were reduced with sEH inhibition. Co-administration of SnMP with AUCB prevented its ability to reduce renal fibrosis and apoptosis in diabetic SHR. In addition, SnMP treatment also prevented AUCB-induced decreases in renal macrophage infiltration and renal TGF-β, NFκB and MCP-1 levels in diabetic SHR. These data suggest that HO-1 induction is involved in the protective effect of sEH inhibition against diabetic renal injury.