ABSTRACT
We measured the renal and extrarenal synthesis of prostacyclin and thromboxane A2, as reflected by the urinary excretion of the stable hydration products 6-keto-prostaglandin F 1 alpha and thromboxane B2 and the corresponding 2,3-dinor-derivatives, during chronic administration of sulindac (200, 400, 600, and 800 mg/day, each dose given for 7 days in successive weeks) in seven healthy subjects. Urinary eicosanoids were measured by negative ion, chemical ionization-GC/MS-validated RIA techniques. Both 2,3-dinor-thromboxane B2 and 2,3-dinor-6-keto-prostaglandin F 1 alpha showed a dose-dependent reduction, ranging between 45% and 85%. In contrast, the urinary excretion of 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha and thromboxane B2 did not change significantly throughout the study. These results extend previous observations of a selective sparing of renal cyclooxygenase activity by sulindac in humans and demonstrate that this selectivity is not related to an overall weaker enzyme inhibition.
