Does indomethacin alter the hemodynamic response to magnesium sulfate infusion and hemorrhage in gravid ewes?

The purpose of this study was to determine whether indomethacin alters the maternal and fetal hemodynamic response to magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) infusion and hemorrhage in gravid ewes. We studied seven chronically instrumented animals between 0.8 and 0.9 of timed gestation. The experimental sequence included: 1) at time 0, indomethacin, 2 mg/kg, or vehicle only intravenously (IV) over 5 minutes; 2) at 60 minutes, MgSO4 4 g IV over 5 minutes; 3) at 65 minutes, MgSO4 infusion at 4 g/hour; 4) at 150 minutes, maternal hemorrhage, 20 mL/kg, over 60 minutes; and 5) at 215 minutes, reinfusion of maternal blood over 60 minutes. Each animal was studied with and without indomethacin. Indomethacin, but not vehicle only, transiently increased maternal and fetal mean arterial pressure (MAP), decreased maternal and fetal heart rate, and decreased maternal cardiac output. Magnesium sulfate significantly decreased uterine vascular resistance and increased uterine blood flow both with and without indomethacin. Hemorrhage significantly decreased maternal MAP, heart rate, cardiac output, and uterine blood flow in both groups. The magnitude of each change was similar between the groups. For example, at the end of hemorrhage, maternal MAP was 36 +/- 7% below baseline (P = .0001) with indomethacin and 41 +/- 2% below baseline (P = .0001) in the vehicle-only group (P = not significant between groups). Hemorrhage significantly decreased fetal heart rate, pH, and PO2, and increased fetal MAP and PCO2 in both groups. We conclude that indomethacin did not alter the maternal or fetal hemodynamic response to MgSO4 infusion and hemorrhage in gravid ewes.