Inhibition of phospholipase A2 in vitro by some anti-hypoxic drugs

The effect of the anti-hypoxic drugs piracetam, nicergoline, papaverine, cinnarizine and aligeron on the activity of bee venom phospholipase A2 was studied in experiments in vitro. The pH-stat titration method of Grossmann et al. was used. All the drugs studied inhibited to a various degree the activity of phospholipase A2 in vitro. The most potent drug was nicergoline and the least potent was papaverine. Taking into account that the activity of phospholipase A2 is stimulated in hypoxia, the results make us believe that the inhibition of phospholipase A2 might play a certain role in the anti-hypoxic effect of the drugs studied.