[Effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on inflammatory reaction. An animal experiment study]

Previous investigations indicate that the application of a cyclooxygenase inhibitor alone can lead to amplification of the inflammatory process. To prevent this response a combination of flurbiprofen and leukotriene receptor antagonist (S 872419 A, Hoechst AG, Frankfurt/Main) were tested in an animal model. The right eye of 48 rabbits was burned with alcali (0.25 mol/l sodium hydroxide). Thirty animals were treated with (0.03% flurbiprofen sodium eye drops and 1% S872419 A eye drops, five times daily). Eighteen animals received no therapy for up to 14 days. Hyperemia of the limbal vessels, corneal vascularization, the number of PMNLs in the cornea and the prostacyclin level in the anterior chamber of the eye (ELISA) served as criteria. On day 3, after the chemical burn only the therapy group showed a significant decrease in hyperemia of the limbal vessels (14th day: score with therapy 0.3, without 2.17, P < 0.05). Without therapy corneal vascularization filled a much larger area from the 6th day on (14th day: area with therapy 3.5 mm2, without 63.7 mm2, P < 0.05). The number of PMNLs was effectively limited by therapy in the superficial stromal layers of the cornea and with therapy showed 2.4 cells/0.014 mm2 and without 18 cells/0.014 mm2 after 48 h. Without Therapy the level of prostacyclin was up to 15 times higher than with (12-h value with therapy) 607 pg/ml, without 9094 pg/ml, P < 0.05). Suppression of cyclo- and lipoxygenase-mediated inflammatory responses is possible with the combination of flurbiprofen and S 872419 A when two arachidonic by inhibition of prostanoid synthesis and leukotriene receptor block at the same time.