Anti-inflammatory mechanism of alminoprofen: Action on the phospholipid metabolism pathway

Alminoprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) of the phenyl propionic acid class. It has anti-inflammatory properties different from th e classical NSAID. Using both in vitro systems of cells in culture and in v ivo models of inflammation, we report here that alminoprofen possesses both antiphospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) activity and anti-cycloxygenase (COX) acti vity. The PLA(2)targeted by alminoprofen is likely the secretory phospholip ase A(2) (sPLA(2)) while the COX targeted is the COX-2. (C) 1999 Elsevier S cience Inc.