PRO-INFLAMMATORY INTERLEUKINS AND OXIDATIVE IMBALANCE IN L-NAME-INDUCED HYPERTENSION: COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF Β-BLOCKERS.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a multifactorial condition characterized by vascular dysfunction, oxidative stress, and immune activation. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α, contribute to inflammatory processes in hypertension; therefore, they should be considered together with nitric oxide (NO) deficiency and oxidative imbalance when interpreting arterial pressure changes. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between pro-inflammatory interleukins, nitric oxide metabolites, oxidative status, and arterial pressure in an experimental model of hypertension, and to compare the effects of β-blockers. METHODS: Hypertension was induced in 70 male Wistar rats by chronic administration of Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 40 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneally) for 8 weeks. Animals were randomized into seven groups (n = 10/group): intact control, L-NAME for 4 weeks, L-NAME for 8 weeks, and four L-NAME + β-blocker treatment groups receiving nebivolol (0.5 mg/kg/day), propranolol (0.1 mg/kg/day), metoprolol (3 mg/kg/day), or carvedilol (2 mg/kg/day) by oral gavage during weeks 5-8. Arterial pressure was measured using a noninvasive tail-cuff method. Serum IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α were quantified by ELISA. Nitric oxide metabolites and total antioxidant activity (TAA) were assessed using the Griess reaction and DPPH assay. RESULTS: L-NAME administration resulted in a time-dependent increase in arterial pressure, accompanied by reduced NO metabolites and TAA and increased interleukin levels. β-blockers attenuated these changes to varying degrees. Nebivolol and carvedilol produced greater improvements in arterial pressure, NO metabolites, TAA, and interleukin levels compared with propranolol and metoprolol. CONCLUSION: Chronic NOS inhibition was associated with hypertension and concurrent alterations in inflammatory and oxidative parameters. β-blockers differ in their modulatory effects, with nebivolol and carvedilol demonstrating greater overall efficacy. These findings reflect associations rather than causal mechanisms and support further investigation into integrated therapeutic strategies.