Objectives: We have previously demonstrated that a stable synthetic analog of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE), N-(20-hydroxyeicosa-5[Z],14[Z]-dienoyl)glycine (5,14-HEDGE), which mimics the effects of endogenously produced 20-HETE, prevents vascular hyporeactivity, hypotension, tachycardia, inflammation, and mortality in a rodent model of septic shock. The present study was performed to determine whether decreased renal and cardiovascular expression and activity of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)/transforming growth factor-activated kinase 1 (TAK1)/inhibitor of κB (IκB) kinase β (IKKβ)/IκB-α/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway and reduced circulating microRNA (miR)-150, miR-223, and miR-297 expression levels participate in the protective effect of 5,14-HEDGE against hypotension, tachycardia, and inflammation in response to systemic administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
Methods: Conscious male Wistar rats received saline (4 ml/kg) or LPS (10 mg/kg) at time 0. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured using a tail-cuff device. Separate groups of LPS-treated rats were given 5,14-HEDGE (30 mg/kg) 1 h after injection of saline or LPS. The rats were killed 4 h after LPS challenge and blood, kidney, heart, thoracic aorta, and superior mesenteric artery were collected for measurement of the protein expression.
Results: LPS-induced fall in blood pressure and rise in heart rate were associated with increased MyD88 expression and phosphorylation of TAK1 and IκB-α in cytosolic fractions of the tissues. LPS also caused an increase in both unphosphorylated and phosphorylated NF-κB p65 proteins in the cytosolic and nuclear fractions as well as nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65. In addition, serum miR-150, miR-223, and miR-297 expression levels were increased in LPS-treated rats. These effects of LPS were prevented by 5,14-HEDGE.
Conclusions: These results suggest that downregulation of MyD88/TAK1/IKKβ/IκB-α/NF-κB pathway as well as decreased circulating miR-150, miR-223, and miR-297 expression levels participate in the protective effect of 5,14-HEDGE against hypotension, tachycardia, and inflammation in the rat model of septic shock.