17Beta-oestradiol enhances the acute hypotensive effect of captopril in female ovariectomized spontaneously hypertensive rats
Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate whether the acute haemodynamic effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition with captopril could be enhanced by oestrogen administration, and then to evaluate the mechanisms involved in this enhancement. All experiments were performed in 18-week-old female spontaneously hypertensive rats arranged in three experimental groups: intact; ovariectomized (OVX); and ovariectomized plus treatment with 17beta-oestradiol (OVX + E2). These groups were used to evaluate the effects of captopril administration alone, or following bradykinin B2 receptor blockade or nitric oxide synthase inhibition, on a number of haemodynamic parameters (mean arterial pressure, cardiac index, vascular resistance and heart rate). The drop in mean arterial pressure and vascular resistance index in response to captopril was more pronounced in intact and ovariectomized rats treated with 17beta-oestradiol than in ovariectomized animals. Blockade of bradykinin B2 receptors or inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis attenuated the synergy between 17beta-oestradiol and captopril. It is concluded that ovariectomy blunted the blood pressure and vascular resistance index drop observed in intact rats in response to capto...Continue Reading
References
Citations
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Antihypertensive Agents: Mechanisms of Action
Antihypertensive drugs are used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) which aims to prevent the complications of high blood pressure, such as stroke and myocardial infarction. Discover the latest research on antihypertensive drugs and their mechanism of action here.