Soluble epoxide hydrolase drives neurovascular dysfunction in a model of amyloidosis.

DeMeglio, Murphy; De Biasi, Eloah S; Breunig, Peter; Candlish, Michael; Sauerland, Christina; Günther, Stefan; Kawase, Haruya; Peguera, Blanca et al. · Brain · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Recent advances in anti-amyloid therapies for Alzheimer's disease have been promising, but they have also highlighted critical challenges, including increased vascular complications, such as amyloid-related imaging abnormalities. Emerging evidence suggests that the soluble epoxide hydrolase may be a promising therapeutic target due to the involvement of sEH-derived diols in inflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular destabilization. APPPS1 mice, a model of amyloidosis, were crossed with an inducible soluble epoxide hydrolase knock-out mouse line. The knock-out was induced before onset of amyloid deposition, and then the mice were analyzed using histological, molecular, and RNA sequencing techniques. Here, we identify astrocytic soluble epoxide hydrolase as a key mediator of vascular instability in amyloid pathology. Targeted astrocyte-specific deletion of soluble epoxide hydrolase in APPPS1 mice dramatically mitigated vascular changes, reducing the vascular amyloid burden by 67.95% and preserving VE-cadherin architecture. Importantly, vasomotion was markedly impaired in the Alzheimer's disease model and was preserved in soluble epoxide hydrolase-deficient animals. Transcriptomic profiling of vasculature in APPPS1xsEHΔAC mice revealed upregulated expression of genes critical for neurovascular protection. These findings identify soluble epoxide hydrolase as a central regulator of neurovascular dysfunction and underscore its therapeutic potential in increasing vascular stability in amyloidosis-associated diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease.