Glimepiride, a novel soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor, protects against heart failure via increasing epoxyeicosatrienoic acids.

Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), which exert multiple endogenous protective effects, are hydrolyzed into less active dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (DHETs) by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH). However, commercial drugs related to EETs or sEH are not yet in clinical use. Firstly, the plasma concentration of EETs and DHETs of 316 patients with heart failure (HF) were detected and quantitated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Then, transverse aortic constriction (TAC)-induced HF was introduced in cardiomyocyte-specific Ephx2−/− mice. Moreover, Western blot, real-time PCR, luciferase reporter, ChIP assays were employed to explore the underlying mechanism. Finally, multiple sEH inhibitors were designed, synthesized, and validated in vitro and in vivo. The ratios of DHETs/EETs were increased in the plasma from patients with HF. Meanwhile, the expression of sEH was upregulated in the heart of patients and mice with HF, especially in cardiomyocytes. Cardiomyocyte-specific Ephx2−/− mice ameliorated cardiac dysfunction induced by TAC. Consistently, Ephx2 knockdown protected Angiotensin II (AngII)-treated cardiomyocytes via increasing EETs in vitro. Mechanistically, AngII could enhance the expression of transcript factor Krüppel-like factor 15 (KLF15), which in turn upregulated sEH. Importantly, glimepiride was identified as a novel sEH inhibitor, which benefited from the elevated EETs during HF. Glimepiride attenuates HF in mice in part by increasing EETs. Clinical trial identifier: NCT03461107 (https://clinicaltrials.gov). [Display omitted] • The plasma concentration of EETs is decreased in patients with heart failure as quantified by LC-MS/MS. • Enhanced activity and expression of sEH in cardiomyocyte are observed in both human and murine hearts with heart failure. • Specific deletion of the Ephx2 gene in cardiomyocytes ameliorates cardiac dysfunction induced by TAC. • AngII stimulation results in elevated expression of the transcript factor KLF15, subsequently leading to sEH upregulation. • Glimepiride, a novel sEH inhibitor, shows potential clinical application in HF treatment by increasing EET levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]