Reduction of experimentally induced endometrial hyperplasia by atenolol

ABSTRACT

This project was initiated to examine an observation noted in Mosul University Gynaocological Clinic where a hypertensive woman was presented with uterine bleeding due to endometrial hyperplasia. Upon lowering her elevated blood pressure with atenolol, the endometrial bleeding decreased gradually and finally stopped. Varying degrees of endometrial hyperplasia were induced in rats by different doses of estradiol valerated injections for a period of 20 days. When atenolol was administered orally in 4 and 8mg doses for the 2nd half of the treatment period, there was significant reduction in uterine wet weight especially in rats [P < 0.001] dosed with high estrogen and atenolol. There was a reduction also in control rats who received the atenolol alone. The endometria of the estrogen dominated rats were thick, vascular, with active surface epithelium and the glands were lined by columnar epithelium with no vacuoles. In the atenolol treated rats, the endometria were thin, less vascular and glandular linings were flattened epithelium with various degrees of secretory exhaustion or secretory vacuoles depending on the dosage of atenolol used