Oleic acid induces lung injury in mice through activation of the ERK pathway.

Oleic acid (OA) can induce acute lung injury in experimental models. In the present work, we used intratracheal OA injection to show augmented oedema formation, cell migration and activation, lipid mediator, and cytokine productions in the bronchoalveolar fluids of Swiss Webster mice. We also demonstrated that OA-induced pulmonary injury is dependent on ERK1/2 activation, since U0126, an inhibitor of ERK1/2 phosphorylation, blocked neutrophil migration, oedema, and lipid body formation as well as IL-6, but not IL-1β production.

Inhibition of mammal Na(+)K(+)-ATPase by diterpenes extracted from the Brazilian brown alga Dictyota cervicornis.

The dolastane diterpenes 4-acetoxy-9,14-dihydroxydolast-1(15),7-diene (1) and 4,7-diacetoxy-14-hydroxydolast-1(15),8-diene (2) were isolated from specimens of the alga Dictyota cervicornis collected from the Rio de Janeiro coast, Brazil. Chemical structures of the diterpenes were assigned by 1D and 2D NMR spectral data for the first time. Both substances inhibited Na(+)K(+)-ATPase preparations from guinea-pig brain or kidney, with the same inhibitory potency towards enzyme isoforms.