Aim: to investigate the influence of some stress factors on hepatic function and lipid metabolism in an experimental-induced hypertension.
Material and methods: The experiment was carried out on Wistar rats, treated intraperitoneally, for 4 weeks, as follows: Group 1: saline solution (0.5ml/100g weight); Group 2: saline solution + stress; Group 3: Endotelin-1; Group 4: Endotelin-1 + stress; Group 5: Endotelin-1 + cholesterol diet (0.2g/kbw/day); Group 6: Endotelin-1 + cholesterol diet + stress. Endotelin-1 0.25nmol/kbw was initially administered, followed by 0.5nmol/kbw 15 min later, 2 times/week. Stress-inducing factors were immobilization and water immersion. In the 28th day of the experiment blood pressure was measured and blood samples were taken from retro-orbitary plexus to assess glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides levels.
Results: Using immobilization and water immersion as chronic stress, our study proved an increase of GOT, GTP and total and LDL cholesterol in rats with endotelin-1-induced hypertension.
Conclusions: In this animal model of endothelin-1-induced hypertension the blood pressure increased significantly under chronic exposure to stress, reaching the highest values when associating stress and experimentally induced dyslipidemia.