Letrozole Ameliorates Dexamethasone-Induced Cardiometabolic Risk in Wister Rats

Dexamethasone is a glucocorticoid, often prescribed for various inflammatory and immunological disorders. However, its role in promoting cardiometabolic risk has been widely reported. This study investigated the ameliorative effects of letrozole on dexamethasone-induced cardiometabolic disorder in rats. Twenty male Wister rats were randomly divided into control, letrozole (1 mg/kg, p.o), dexamethasone (0.2 mg/kg, p.o) and dexamethasone + letrozole groups. After twenty-one days, serum and liver were processed for evaluating levels of oxidative stress, lipid impairment and kidney serum biomarkers. Findings from this study demonstrate that dexamethasone increased (p < 0.001) serum and liver levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in male Wister rats and decreased the anti-oxidants levels. Furthermore, dexamethasone elevated (p < 0.001) serum and liver total cholesterol, and serum low-density cholesterols (p < 0.05) and decreased (p < 0.01) liver high-density cholesterol. Moreso, dexamethasone elevated (p < 0.001) serum levels of urea and creatinine when compared with the control rats. In contrast, co-administration of letrozole lowered serum (p < 0.001) and liver (p < 0.01) MDA levels, increased anti-oxidant levels and ameliorated lipid impairments in dexamethasone-treated rats. Further, letrozole reduced serum urea level (p < 0.001) in rats receiving dexamethasone. Conclusively, this study shows that letrozole has anti-oxidant properties and may attenuate cardiometabolic risk via improved lipidaemia, hepatic triglycerides accumulation and kidney function.