Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ downregulates soluble epoxide hydrolase in cardiomyocytes

1. The antidiabetic agents, thiazolidinediones (TZD), ligands for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), have been reported to reduce cardiac hypertrophy. However, the underlying mechanism is still elusive. 2. We previously reported that soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) was specifically upregulated by angiotensin-II (AngII), which directly mediated AngII-induced cardiac hypertrophy. In the present study, we examined the role of sEH in PPARγ inhibiting AngII-induced cardiac hypertrophy. 3. The protein level of sEH was elevated in the left ventricle of AngII-infused Sprague-Dawley rats. Administration of the TZD rosiglitazone decreased this induction. In vitro, AngII upregulated the expression of sEH and hypertrophy markers, including atrial natriuretic factor and β-myosin heavy chain, in rat neonatal cardiomyocytes and H9c2 cells, which was attenuated by rosiglitazone and pioglitazone. An elevated level of sEH was also found in the left ventricle of heterozygous PPARγ-deficient mice. The effect of TZD on sEH level could be reversed by treatment with the PPARγ antagonists, GW9662 and BADGE, which suggests PPARγ activation. In elucidating the mechanisms by which PPARγ inhibited AngII-induced sEH expression, we found that rosiglitazone inhibited AngII-induced sEH promoter activity in H9c2 cells. In contrast, the activity of the human sEH 3'UTR was not affected by AngII and TZD. 4. Our results suggest that the protective role of PPARγ activation in AngII-induced cardiac hypertrophy is, at least in part, through downregulating sEH.