Sulfasalazine and 5-aminosalicylic acid inhibit contractile leukotriene formation.

Sulfasalazine, used therapeutically in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, is cleaved in vivo to form 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) and sulfapyridine. In an isolated preparation of rat peritoneal cells both sulfasalazine (IC50 = 0.15 mM) and 5-ASA (IC50 = 2.3 mM), but not sulfapyridine, inhibited calcium ionophore-stimulated formation of contractile leukotriene activity. This activity, although not identified directly, is attributable to a mixture of leukotriene C4 and leukotriene D4 (commonly referred to as SRS-A, or slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis). Reference compounds evinced expected activities (IC50 = 0.024 mM for phenidone, IC50 = 0.3 microM for nordihydroguaiaretic acid, IC50 = 0.033 mM for BW 755C), whereas para-aminosalicylic acid and thiosalicylic acid were inactive. These properties of sulfasalazine may contribute to its therapeutic efficacy in vivo.

REV 5901 and Ly 171,883 protect rat gastric mucosa against ethanol-induced damage.

The effect of the leukotriene antagonist, Ly 171,883, or the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, REV 5901, on ethanol-induced gastric lesion formation in the rat was investigated. Pretreatment with REV 5901 resulted in a dose dependent decrease in lesion length. Doses of 32 and 64 mg/kg induced nearly complete protection against ethanol, while doses of 1 and 8 mg/kg were much less effective. With Ly 171,883, 32 and 64 mg/kg doses less dramatically reduced lesion length. These findings implicate products of the 5-lipoxygenase pathway in the production of ethanol-induced gastric lesions.