18. NSAIDS Flashcards
why are NSAIDS widely used?
- ANALGESIC PROPERTIES: relief of mild-to-moderate pain, postoperative pain, menstrual pain
- ANTIPYRETIC: reduction of fever
- ANTI-INFLAMMATORY: rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, soft tissue injuries, gout
how do NSAIDS work?
- inhibit prostanoid synthesis (prostanoids = lipid mediators derived from arachidonic acid, e.g. prostaglandins, thromboxane, prostacyclin)
- prostanoids act as inflammatory mediators
what do NSAIDS do to COX?
- inhibit the cyclo-oxygenase enzymes (COX 1&2)
- COX are the rate limiting step for the production of all prostanoids from arachidonic acid
what are the prostaglandins produced by arachidonic acid?
- PGI2 (prostacyclin)
- PGE2
- PGD2
- PGF2
- Thromboxane A2
what are the 10 known prostanoid receptors?
- DP1
- DP2
- EP1
- EP2
- EP3
- EP4
- FP
- IP1
- IP2
- TP
(naming based on agonist potency)
what are the unwanted actions of PGE2?
- increased pain perception
- increased body temperature
- acute inflammatory response
- immune responses
- tumorigenesis
- inhibition of apoptosis
what do PGE2 analogues do?
lower the pain threshold:
- nociceptors cause pain acutely and chronically (when stimulated you feel pain)
- stimulation of PG receptors in the periphery sensitises nociceptors (lower pain threshold)
- a less painful stimulus still produces pain
what does injection of a COX 2 inhibitor do to pain?
prevents/reduces the duration of prolonged pain
what does PGE2 do to hypothalamic neurones?
stimulates hypothalamic neurones, initiating a rise in body temperature
how is PGE2 involved in inflammation?
involves PGE2-EP3 signalling:
- keratinocytes are stimulated by external stimuli to produce PGE2
- EP3 receptors on mast cells are in turn stimulated
- this produces calcium release –> degranulation –> histamine
what desirable physiological actions do PGE2 (and other prostanoids) have?
- bronchodilation
- renal salt and water homeostasis
- gastro-protection
- vaso-regulation
what is PGD2 the exception for?
it causes bronchoconstriction instead of bronchodilation
why should NSAIDS not be taken by asthmatics?
10% of asthma patients experience worsening symptoms because of the bronchoconstriction caused by the lack of prostanoids due to cyclooxygenase inhibition
how does PGE2 regulate salt and water homeostasis?
- both COX 1&2 are involved at multiple points in the nephron
- PGE2 has a role in increasing renal blood flow
what can NSAIDS cause in the kidneys?
RENAL TOXICITY:
- constriction of afferent renal arteriole
- reduction in renal artery flow
- reduced glomerular filtration rate