Molecular mechanisms of cytochrome P450-derived epoxy-fatty acids neuroprotection

The epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) are metabolites that result from the oxidation of the arachidonic acid by cytochrome P450 (CYP) epoxygenases. EETs are known to exert anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, vasodilatory, pro-angiogenic and anti-apoptotic actions. In the nervous system, EETs have been found to be neuroprotective in different models of neuronal damage. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for these effects are not yet fully understood. This article seeks to review what is known about the signaling pathways involved in the EETs mediated neuroprotection. The mechanisms responsible for these effects are complex and involve several biological pathways that often crosstalk, including an inhibition of NFκB pathway, the activation of PPARα/γ nuclear receptors, and the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway, among others. We also review what is known about the production and the biological significance of the epoxyeicosatrienoic acid ethanolamides (EET-EAs) and the epoxyeicosatrienoic acid glycerols (EET-EGs), metabolites that result from the epoxidation of the anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) by CYP epoxygenases, which show endocannabinoid features.