Etoricoxib Attenuates Effect of Antihypertensives in a Rodent Model of DOCA-Salt Induced Hypertension

Abstract

While it is known that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs including selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors influence BP, the exact relationship and underlying mechanisms are still unclear. We investigated the effect of etoricoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor on the antihypertensive efficacy of atenolol; beta-blocker, ramipril; angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor and telmisartan; angiotensin receptor blocker in deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats, a mineralocorticoid volume expansion model. Etoricoxib attenuated the antihypertensive-induced reduction of systolic (atenolol; P < .001, ramipril; P = .011, telmisartan; P = .003) and mean arterial pressure (atenolol; P < .001, ramipril; P = .032, telmisartan; P = .023). These results demonstrate that COX-2 dependent mechanisms play a significant role in blood pressure regulation, and etoricoxib-induced COX-2 inhibition blunts the therapeutic effect of different classes of antihypertensives in this mineralocorticoid volume expansion model of hypertension.

• hypertension
• antihypertensive
• cyclooxygenase inhibitors
• animal model
• blood pressure
• renin

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors express sincere thanks to Windlas Biotech. Limited, Dehradun, India for providing etoricoxib, atenolol, ramipril, and telmisartan and Sigma Aldrich, India for providing DOCA.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.