METABOLIC EFFECTS OF THE COMBINATION OF FUROSEMIDE AND CAPTOPRIL IN RAT

Diuretics typically provoke increased serum lipid levels and may provo ke increased serum uric acid levels and/or glucose intolerance. Furose mide is widely used as an antihypertensive, but in patients for whom f urosemide treatment alone proves insufficient to reduce hypertension, a common procedure is to co-administer the angiotensin-converting-enzy me (ACE) inhibitor captopril. The metabolic effects in rats of joint a dministration of furosemide (15 mg/kg/day) and captopril (2 mg/kg/day) are evaluated over a two-week period. At the end of this period, the serum levels of lipids, uric acid, bilirubin, proteins and various enz ymes were determined as well as the effect of the treatment on intesti nal absorption of glucose and calcium. Furosemide/captopril led to an increase in serum albumin and alkaline phosphatase levels, and a decre ase in triglyceride levels. The results of this work support the view that this drug combination is suitable for hypertension treatment.