ULCEROGENICITY AND EFFECT ON INHIBITION OF PROSTAGLANDIN GENERATION OF INDOMETHACIN FARNESIL, A PRODRUG OF INDOMETHACIN, IN RAT GASTRIC-MUCOSA - COMPARISON WITH INDOMETHACIN OR LOXOPROFEN

Indometacin farnesil was compared with indomethacin and loxoprofen in rats to ascertain whether it caused less gastric mucosal damage than t he two older drugs. Damage was evaluated in terms of the size of ulcer s that formed after oral administration and the changes in concentrati ons of prostaglandins E(2) and I-2 in the mucosa. Indometacin farnesil caused less damage than indomethacin and tended to cause less damage than loxoprofen. Indometacin farnesil was less potent than indomethaci n in inhibiting prostaglandin generation by gastric mucosa. This prope rty of indometacin farnesil may contribute to the low ulcerogenicity o f this compound.