[Effects of propofol pretreatment on endothelin in oleic acid-induced acute lung injury].

Introduction: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a pathological condition characterized by injury in the alveolar-capillary membrane that triggers local and systemic inflammation. Endothelin (ET) is a protein that regulates immune response and constricts blood vessels; when it is over-expressed, it may contribute to high blood pressure and lung injury. This work tries to determine if propofol may decrease hemodynamic, gasometric, microscopic, ET-1 plasmatic concentration, and immuno-histochemical alterations in an experimental model of oleic acid-induced acute lung injury.