Anti-Hypertensive Drugs on Oral Epithelial Tissues

Hypertension, cronic disease that rises with age, may have widespread and devastating consequences. Only 5% of the hypertensive persons show a rapidly rising blood pressure, many remains at stable or modest rising levels over years, controlling blood pressure spontaneously, by changing the life style, or by medications. The number of patients on anti-hypertensive drugs is raising, and these patients may present oral side effects such as lichenoid reaction, gingival hyperplasia or dry mouth. OBJECTIVES: The objective of our study seek to evaluate how anti-hypertensive drugs may represent a risk for oral lesions and if it is possible to avoid them. METHODS: Wistar rats received during 7 and 30 consecutive days one of the anti-hypertensive medications: Diuretic, Ca+ channals blockers, Beta blockers or Angiotensin Converting Enzymes (ACE) inhibitors. All the medications were given by gavage, and the control group were animals receiving saline. After the experimental time, the oral tissues were properly prepared and observed by light microscopy. The data were presented and used adequade statistical tests. RESULTS: They indicated that: 1) Anti-hypertensive medication causes extense alterationa in epithelial cells nuclei, in tongue, gingiva and glandular tissues, indicating alterations in proliferation, differentiation and function of these cells (20% up to 100% alterations grades); 2) tongue medial dorsal area presented a marked atrophy in epithelial tissue (about 30%); 3) submandibular salivary gland presented a marked depletion in acinar area (up to 30%), followed by an increasing connective tissue presence, and 4) the observed alterations are progressive along with the time of medication use. In CONCLUSION: anti-hypertensive drugs use may lead to epithelial alterations and as a result may presipose oral tissues to higher damage when facing any trauma.