Taking the 20-HETE out of the cardiovascular system: the potential of 20-HETE synthesis inhibitors.

In addition to being metabolized by cyclooxygenase and lipooxygenase to prostaglandins and leukotrienes, arachidonic acid can be metabolized to 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) by cytochrome P450 enzymes omega-hydroxylases. As 20-HETE has both pro-hypertensive and antihypertensive actions, inhibitors of 20-HETE synthase may not be useful as antihypertensives in all forms of hypertension. However, 20-HETE synthase inhibitors can have cardioprotective and cerebroprotective effects in animal models, and can inhibit angiogenesis; therefore they may have clinical potential in these areas.