UC Davis

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized as a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder, and the deposition of specific protein aggregates of α-synuclein, termed Lewy bodies, is evident in multiple brain regions of PD patients. Although there are several available medications to treat PD symptoms, these medications do not prevent the progression of the disease. Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) plays a key role in inflammation associated with the pathogenesis of PD. Here we found that MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine)-induced neurotoxicity in the mouse striatum was attenuated by subsequent repeated administration of TPPU, a potent sEH inhibitor. Furthermore, deletion of the sEH gene protected against MPTP-induced neurotoxicity, while overexpression of sEH in the striatum significantly enhanced MPTP-induced neurotoxicity. Moreover, the expression of the sEH protein in the striatum from MPTP-treated mice or postmortem brain samples from patients with dementia of Lewy bodies (DLB) was significantly higher compared with control groups. Interestingly, there was a positive correlation between sEH expression and phosphorylation of α-synuclein in the striatum. Oxylipin analysis showed decreased levels of 8,9-epoxy-5Z,11Z,14Z-eicosatrienoic acid in the striatum of MPTP-treated mice, suggesting increased activity of sEH in this region. Interestingly, the expression of sEH mRNA in human PARK2 iPSC-derived neurons was higher than that of healthy control. Treatment with TPPU protected against apoptosis in human PARK2 iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons. These findings suggest that increased activity of sEH in the striatum plays a key role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as PD and DLB. Therefore, sEH may represent a promising therapeutic target for α-synuclein-related neurodegenerative disorders.