Copaiba oil improves pulmonary nitric oxide bioavailability in monocrotaline-treated rats

Oxidative stress is involved in increased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy, characteristics of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Copaiba oil, an antioxidant compound, could attenuate PAH damage. This study’s aim was to determine the effects of copaiba oil on lung oxidative stress, PVR, and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) in the monocrotaline (MCT) model of PAH. Male Wistar rats (170 g, n = 7/group) were divided into four groups: control, MCT, copaiba oil, and MCT + copaiba oil (MCT-O). PAH was induced by MCT (60 mg/kg i.p.) and, after 1 week, the treatment with copaiba oil (400 mg/kg/day gavage) was started for 14 days. Echocardiographic and hemodynamic measurements were performed. RV was collected for morphometric evaluations and lungs and the pulmonary artery were used for biochemical analysis. Copaiba oil significantly reduced RV hypertrophy, PVR, mPAP, and antioxidant enzyme activities in the MCT-O group. Moreover, increased nitric oxide synthase and decreased NADPH oxidase activities were observed in the MCT-O group. In conclusion, copaiba oil was able to improve the balance between nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species in lungs and the pulmonary artery and to reduce PVR, which could explain a decrease in RV hypertrophy in this PAH model.