title: Antiinflammatory drugs and the many mediators of inflammation.
abstract: The history of the use of aspirin and salicylate is briefly reviewed, as are the many putative mediators of inflammation. The theory that aspirin-like drugs bring about their antiinflammatory effects through inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis is presented, in the light of other arachidonic acid products such as the leukotrienes. Evidence is presented that aspirin brings about its antiinflammatory effects (at least in the rat) after its conversion into salicylate. The selective inhibition of cyclooxygenase by the large group of aspirin-like non-steroid antiinflammatory drugs explains their therapeutic activity. The elucidation of other pathways of oxidative metabolism of arachidonic acid has revealed new targets for the development of drugs with potentially greater therapeutic activity in the treatment of inflammation, cardio-thrombotic diseases and asthma.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology*; D016859:Lipoxygenase Inhibitors; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013189:SRS-A / Q000502:physiology; D013930:Thromboxane-A Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D016859:Lipoxygenase Inhibitors; D011453:Prostaglandins; D013189:SRS-A; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D013930:Thromboxane-A Synthase