Eicosatrienoic acids (EETs) are a class of intermediates produced during arachidonic acid metabolism mediated by cytochrome P450 epoxygenases that exert multiple physiological effects on the nervous system. EETs promote three metabolic processes, including esterification, hydrolysis and degradation or extension. EETs are hydrolyzed by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) to form corresponding diols, thereby reducing their biological activity. Strategies regulating sEH expression or activity affect EET hydrolysis and alter relative cell concentrations, thus influencing EET function. This article summarizes the metabolic pathway of eicosatrienoic acid in organisms and highlights its neuroprotective effects on the central nervous system, which include regulating neuronal excitability, increasing cerebral blood flow, inhibiting neuronal apoptosis, reducing neuroinflammation, mitigating brain injury and promoting recovery of neurological function in subjects with nervous system diseases.
Keywords: Arachidonic acid; Cytochrome P450 epoxygenases; Eicosatrienoic acids; Nervous system; Neuroprotection.
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