ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Respiratory Pharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1657799
Lauric acid modulates the cyclooxygenases and nitric oxide pathways and reduces oxidative stress in preventing tracheal hyperresponsiveness in asthmatic Wistar rats
Provisionally accepted
Indyra Alencar Duarte Figueiredo*
Alissa Maria De Oliveira MartinsAlexya Mikelle Teixeira Cavalcanti
Jayne Muniz FernandesLudmila Emilly da Silva GomesGabriel Nunes Machado de OliveiraLucas Nóbrega de OliveiraIsabela Motta FelícioAdriana Maria Fernandes de Oliveira Golzio
Luiz Henrique César Vasconcelos*
Fabiana De Andrade Cavalcante- Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
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Lauric acid, or dodecanoic acid, a medium-chain fatty acid, prevents alterations in pulmonary ventilation and tracheal hyper-responsiveness in Wistar rats with allergic asthma induced by ovalbumin (OVA). Therefore, the aim was to evaluate the mechanism of action of LA in its preventive effect on changes caused by asthma. Rats were randomly divided into the control group (CG), asthmatic group (AG), and asthmatic lauric acid 25 mg/kg group (ALA25G). AG and ALA25G were sensitized and challenged with OVA. For the experimental protocols, after euthanasia, the trachea and lungs were isolated. A reduction in the contractile reactivity to CCh was observed in the asthmatic group in the presence of indomethacin, zileuton, L-NAME, apocynin, and tempol, inhibitors of COX, 5-LOX, NOS, NADPH oxidase, and a mimetic of SOD, respectively. In the ALA25G, the contractile reactivity was reduced in the presence of indomethacin, L-NAME, and apocynin. Furthermore, an increase in lipid peroxidation (MDA) and nitrite levels, and a reduction in of reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were observed in the pulmonary homogenate of the AG. Treatment with lauric acid at a dose of 25 mg/kg prevented all of these alterations, except for the reduction in GSH levels. In conclusion, LA reduces tracheal hyper-responsiveness in Wistar rats with allergic asthma by negatively modulating both the COX and NO pathways and oxidative stress imbalance.
Keywords: Dodecanoic acid, Ovalbumin, Asthma, Trachea, pulmonary homogenate, Oxidative Stress
Received: 01 Jul 2025; Accepted: 04 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Figueiredo, Martins, Cavalcanti, Fernandes, Gomes, Oliveira, Oliveira, Felício, Golzio, Vasconcelos and Cavalcante. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Indyra Alencar Duarte Figueiredo, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
Luiz Henrique César Vasconcelos, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
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