COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF NONSTEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUGS AND ANTI-THROMBOXANE AGENTS IN A RABBIT ADHESION-PREVENTION MODEL

A variety of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been fo und to inhibit postsurgical peritoneal adhesion formation in a number of animal models. A rabbit uterine horn adhesion model was used to dir ectly compare several commonly-used NSAIDs of different chemical class es in a single animal study to evaluate their ability to prevent adhes ion formation. The effect of thromboxane inhibitors on adhesion preven tion was also evaluated Each of the NSAIDs tested (tolmetin, ibuprofen , aspirin, and indomethacin) showed significant and comparable efficac y. In this same study, imidazole, a thromboxane synthetase inhibitor, also showed significant efficacy. In a second study, ridogrel, an inhi bitor of thromboxane synthetase as well as a thromboxane A, receptor b locker, also showed significant efficacy in reducing peritoneal adhesi on severity. These results further support the view that NSAIDs act to prevent adhesions through a common mechanism. In addition, thromboxan e A(2) inhibitors were also shown to be efficacious in adhesion preven tion, suggesting that platelets may play a substantial role in adhesio n formation.