Flurbiprofen and enantiomers in ophthalmic solution tested as inhibitors of prostanoid synthesis in human blood

Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Meloxicam in East Asian Populations: The Role of Ethnicity on Drug Response

We aimed to reanalyze the differences in the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of meloxicam in East Asian populations based on a population approach using previously published data and to investigate the factors found in population PK analysis that affect the pharmacodynamics (PDs) of meloxicam. Population PK analysis was performed in 119 healthy male subjects (30 Japanese, 30 Chinese, 29 Korean, and 30 white) under strictly controlled trial conditions with regulated meals and a single lot of the drug. We found that CYP2C9 genotype and lean body mass were statistically significant predictors of clearance and volume of distribution, respectively. A statistical significant difference in the PK parameters between ethnic groups could not be identified. Simulations using PK/PD models showed that CYP2C9 genotype is the factor that affects the PDs of meloxicam. The genetic polymorphisms highlighted in this study would be beneficial for conducting clinical trials in East Asians with similar genetic backgrounds.

R-flurbiprofen improves tau, but not Aß pathology in a triple transgenic model of Alzheimer's disease

We have previously reported that chronic ibuprofen treatment improves cognition and decreases intracellular Aß and phosphorylated-tau levels in 3xTg-AD mice. Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that independently of its anti-inflammatory effects has anti-amyloidogenic activity as a gamma-secretase modulator (GSM) and both activities have the potential to decrease Aß pathology. To further understand the effects of NSAIDs in 3xTg-AD mice, we treated 3xTg-AD mice with R-flurbiprofen, an enantiomer of the NSAID flurbiprofen that maintains the GSM activity but has greatly reduced anti-inflammatory activity, and analyzed its effect on cognition, Aß, tau, and the neurochemical profile of the hippocampus. Treatment with R-flurbiprofen from 5 to 7 months of age resulted in improved cognition on the radial arm water maze (RAWM) test and decreased the level of hyperphosphorylated tau immunostained with AT8 and PHF-1 antibodies. No significant changes in the level of Aß (using 6E10 and NU-1 antibodies) were detected. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) we found that R-flurbiprofen treatment decreased the elevated level of glutamine in 3xTg-AD mice down to the level detected in non-transgenic mice. Glutamine levels correlated with PHF-1 immunostained hyperphosphorylated tau. We also found an inverse correlation between the concentration of glutamate and learning across all the mice in the study. Glutamine and glutamate, neurochemicals that shuttles between neurons and astrocytes to maintain glutamate homeostasis in the synapses, deserve further attention as MR markers of cognitive function.

Effect of topical 0.03% flurbiprofen and 0.005% latanoprost, alone and in combination, on normal canine eyes

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate the influence of topically applied flurbiprofen 0.03% and latanoprost 0.005%, alone or in combination, in normal canines.

ANIMALS STUDIED

  10 Normal Beagles.

PROCEDURES

Intraocular pressure (IOP), pupil size, aqueous flare, conjunctival hyperemia, and blepharospasm were evaluated bilaterally five times daily (8 am, 11 am, 2 pm, 5 pm, and 8 pm). The study consisted of a training and acclimation period, followed by 3, 1-week experiment periods. A 2-week washout period occurred between each experiment period. During period 1, all dogs received flurbiprofen (three doses 6-h apart) in the treated eye, whereas in period 2, all dogs received latanoprost (one dose 24-h apart). During period 3, both latanoprost (one dose 24-h apart) and flurbiprofen (three doses 6-h apart) were administered in the treated eye.

RESULTS

Flurbiprofen resulted in a mean IOP elevation of 1.1 mmHg (8.65%) in the treated eye, as compared with the control eye. No effect on pupil size, conjunctival hyperemia, or aqueous flare was noted. Latanoprost resulted in a mean IOP reduction of 3.4 mmHg (30.19%). Combined latanoprost and flurbiprofen resulted in a mean IOP reduction of 2.7 mmHg (24.56%). Miosis was noted in the treated eyes during both latanoprost periods, with maximal pupil constriction 3-h post-dose. This was followed by relative mydriasis 24-h post-dose, persisting 48 h after the last dose. The degree of conjunctival hyperemia varied between individuals. Neither blepharospasm nor aqueous flare was noted at any time point.

CONCLUSION

Concurrent administration of latanoprost and flurbiprofen resulted in a 20.41% reduction in the ocular hypotensive effect relative to latanoprost therapy alone.

Constitutive cyclooxygenase-1 and induced cyclooxygenase-2 in isolated human iris inhibited by S(+) flurbiprofen

The purpose of the present study was to characterize the isoforms of cyclooxygenase (COX) in the human iris before and after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and to determine the selectivity of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), S(+) flurbiprofen, for inhibition of COX-1 and COX-2 in homogenates of this tissue. Spotblots were made of extracts of human iris in the absence and presence of LPS plus acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). After reacting with anti-COX-1 and anti-COX-2 immunoglobulin G, the presence of both immunoreactive COX enzymes was substantiated using an indirect immunoperoxidase method. Authentic COX-1 and COX-2 were used as controls. Using an enzyme immune assay (EIA), the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was quantified in tissue homogenates of human iris under the same conditions as described above. S(+) flurbiprofen was added to tissue homogenates in order to determine the inhibitory effect on PGE2 production. Half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of S(+) flurbiprofen for the PGE2 production in the tissue homogenates were determined from concentration inhibition curves. The selectivity of S(+) flurbiprofen for inhibition of COX-1 was expressed as the ratio of IC50 for COX-2/COX-1. Spotblots of nonstimulated iris-extracts showed positive staining for COX-1 immunoreactivity (-ir) only. After incubation with LPS plus acetylsalicylic acid, positive staining was observed for both COX-1-ir and COX-2-ir. Concentrations of PGE2 released from homogenates of untreated iris varied from 1.5-4 ng/ml, and of LPS-stimulated tissue from 10-20 ng/ml of assay mixture. S(+) flurbiprofen inhibited PGE2 production of untreated tissue homogenates at an IC50 of 8 x 10(-10) M whereas, in the stimulated tissue, IC50 was found to be 3 x 10(-6) M. The selectivity of S(+) flurbiprofen for inhibition of constitutively present COX-1, relative to the inhibition of induced COX-2, was 3,600. Our results indicate that specific expression of COX isoforms in normal human iris was substantiated at the protein level by immunoreaction on spotblots. COX-1 represents the constitutively present enzyme, and COX-2 appears after stimulation with LPS. At the functional level, S(+) flurbiprofen possesses a specificity for COX-1 in inhibiting PGE2 production.