ABSTRACT
This study is aimed at examining the effect of salbutamol, montelukast, and hydrocortisone on high blood pressure and histology of the heart in asthma induced Sprague-Dawley rats. To achieve this, 25 female Sprague-Dawley rats were used for this study, they were divided into 2 main groups (control and test groups). Control group is subdivided into: Group 1 control - not induced with asthma, Group 2 negative control - induced with asthma and not treated. While the test group is divided into: Group 3 (asthma induced and treated with salbutamol), Group 4 (asthma induced and treated with montelukast), and Group 5 (asthma induced and treated with hydrocortisone), With 5 rats per group. All experimental groups (2, 3, 4 and 5) were sensitized with 1 mg OVA and 20 mg aluminum hydroxide dissolved in 0.9 saline on day 0 and 7, challenged with OVA (1 % w/v, adsorbed in 0.9 saline) twice weekly for 28 days, with a Medal family nebulizer. After confirmation of asthma in all test groups, treatment begun with 2 mg/kg salbutamol (oral), 5 mg/kg hydrocortisone (i.p), and 10 mg/kg Montelukast for 28 days (4 weeks). At the end of treatment period the blood pressure of all groups was taken using IITC non-invasive tail-cuff blood pressure machine, after which the animals were sacrificed and tissue samples taken for histology. Result showed that salbutamol decreased systolic blood pressure while hydrocortisone and montelukast increased systolic blood pressure compared to control, there was decrease in pulse rate in all the treated groups. Heart histology: negative control Shows coronary vasoconstriction (VC), vascular ulceration (VU), and interstitial infiltrates of polymorphs. All the treated groups showed normal cardiomyocytes, but montelukast and hydrocortisone groups showed interstitial infiltrates of polymorphs and coronary vascular ulceration respectively. Conclusion: Asthma increases blood pressure. Treatment with montelukast and hydrocortisone exerts a significant increase in blood pressure and cause mild distortion in coronary artery in heart histology of asthma-induced Sprague Dawley rat.
