Cardiovascular and hematologic effects produced by chronic treatment with etoricoxib in normotensive rats

Evaluate the cardiovascular and hematological effects produced by chronic treatment with two dosis of etoricoxib in Wistar normotensive rats.

Thirty rats have been used and divided into one control group and two etoricoxib (10mg/kg and 30mg/kg) treatments groups for 60 days. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) was taken during the whole experimental period and at the end of this period, under anesthesia blood samples were taken, and further the withdrawn of the aorta, heart, brain, liver, and kidneys for the anatomopathologic study.

The treatment with etoricoxib (30mg/Kg) produced a significant increase of the MAP from the 28th day of the experiment and from the platelets when compared to the control group and to the group treated with 10mg/Kg, besides producing a highly significant difference in hematocrit and in the red blood cells in relation to the control group. On the other hand the treatment with etoricoxib has not caused histopathological changes when compared to the control.

These data show that the chronic treatment with etoricoxib leads to increase of the MAP, and to important hematological changes which seem to be associated to the hemoconcentration although not producing anatomopathological significant changes.