Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME) induced hypertension in pregnant rat model: An analysis on the effectiveness of administration methods to induce high blood pressure in pregnancy

Abstract

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) contribute to high percentage for both maternal and foetal morbidity and mortality and associate with long term complications. A history of having HDP is a known risk factor for women's cardiovascular disease later in their life even though blood pressure normalizes during postpartum period. L-NAME is a drug that has been used to pharmacologically induce hypertension by inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). In the previous study, there are various administration methods used to induce hypertension in pregnant rat model by using L-NAME, but they produced inconsistent outcomes.