Review: lipoxygenase inhibitors and the gut

Leukotriene synthesis is influenced by several drugs currently in use for the treatment of alimentary disease, including the corticosteroids, sulphasalazine and mesalazine. However, the use of selective lipoxygenase inhibitors in human gastrointestinal disease has not been investigated. The complexity of eicosanoid metabolism, and the incomplete knowledge of roles played by each metabolite in each tissue and disease condition, make rational pharmacological manipulation of arachidonate metabolism difficult. However, lipoxygenase inhibitors show promise in animal models of inflammation, including hepatitis, and studies in vitro suggest that therapeutic benefits may be achieved using inhibitors of leukotriene synthesis in other inflammatory disorders.