title: Effects of chronic treatment with cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin on oral contraceptive-induced high blood pressure in female rats.
abstract: The present study sought to investigate the effects of prostaglandins synthesis inhibition with indomethacin on blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac weight, plasma electrolytes and cardiovascular responses to arterial baroreceptor stimulation in Oral contraceptive (OC) treated female Sprague-Dawley rats. Oral administration of synthetic oestrogen, ethinyl oestradiol in combination with progestogen, norgestrel for ten weeks significantly increased blood pressure and cardiac weight compared with those of the control rats. Concomitant treatment with indomethacin significantly abrogated increase in blood pressure but did not affect the increase in cardiac weight induced by OC. Heart rate, plasma sodium and potassium concentrations were not affected by OC and/or indomethacin treatment. OC treatment did not alter sympathetic-mediated pressor and tachycardiac responses caused by bilateral carotid baroreceptors unloading. However, these responses were significantly attenuated by indomethacin treatment. These results demonstrated that rat model of OC-induced high blood pressure developed cardiac hypertrophy that is not associated with altered sympathetic-mediated cardiovascular responses to arterial baroreceptor stimulation. The finding that indomethacin prevented OC-induced high blood pressure, but not associated cardiac hypertrophy implies that synthesis of prostaglandins may be an important determinant of OC-induced hypertension, while associated cardiac hypertrophy may not be pressure overload-dependent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria. tunjilaw@unilorin.edu.ng
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Olatunji
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Soladoye
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000473:pathology; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019304:Ethinyl Estradiol-Norgestrel Combination / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011311:Pressoreceptors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D019304:Ethinyl Estradiol-Norgestrel Combination; D007213:Indomethacin