Gastrointestinal safety and therapeutic efficacy of parenterally administered phosphatidylcholine-associated indomethacin in rodent model systems.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Indomethacin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is limited in its enteral or parenteral use by side effects of gastroduodenal bleeding and ulceration. We have investigated the ability of phosphatidylcholine associated with indomethacin to form a therapeutically effective drug (INDO-PC) with reduced gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity for parenteral use.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH:

Rats were treated acutely by intravenous or chronically with subcutaneous injection of vehicle, indomethacin or INDO-PC using three related protocols. We then evaluated the following properties of these parenterally administered test drugs: (i) GI toxicity (luminal and faecal haemoglobin; intestinal perforations and adhesions; and haematocrit); (ii) bioavailability (plasma indomethacin); and (iii) therapeutic efficacy (analgesia from sensitivity to pressure; anti-inflammatory from ankle thickness; cyclo-oxygenase (COX) inhibition from synovial fluid prostaglandin E(2) concentration) in rats with adjuvant-induced joint inflammation.

KEY RESULTS:

Acute and chronic dosing with INDO-PC produced less GI bleeding and intestinal injury than indomethacin alone, whereas the bioavailability, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and COX inhibitory activity of INDO-PC were comparable to indomethacin.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS:

The chemical association of phosphatidylcholine with indomethacin appears to markedly reduce the GI toxicity of the NSAID while providing equivalent therapeutic efficacy in a parenteral INDO-PC formulation.

• Authors: L M Lichtenberger, J J Romero, E J Dial
• Journal: British journal of pharmacology (Br J Pharmacol) Vol. 157 Issue 2 Pg. 252-7 (May 2009) ISSN: 1476-5381 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 19366347 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
• Phosphatidylcholines
• Dinoprostone
• Indomethacin

Topics

• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal (adverse effects, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use)
• Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
• Dinoprostone (analysis)
• Drug Administration Routes
• Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage (chemically induced)
• Indomethacin (adverse effects, blood, therapeutic use)
• Models, Animal
• Phosphatidylcholines (chemistry)
• Radioimmunoassay
• Rats
• Stomach Ulcer (chemically induced)