Aa. Vansorge et al., SPECIFICITY OF FLURBIPROFEN AND ENANTIOMERS FOR INHIBITION OF PROSTAGLANDIN SYNTHESIS IN BOVINE IRIS CILIARY BODY/, PROSTAGLANDINS & OTHER LIPID MEDIATORS, 55(2-3), 1998, pp. 169-177
In the eye, prostaglandin production, as stimulated by trauma, is caus
ed by the activity of the constitutive enzyme cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1)
, present in the iris/ciliary body. For flurbiprofen, a nonsteroid ant
i-inflammatory drug (NSAID), used in eye drops, the specificity of rac
emic flurbiprofen and the enantiomers S(+) and R(-) flurbiprofen in th
eir inhibitory effect on COX-1 was studied, using bovine iris/ciliary
body as source of the enzyme. S(+) is 100 times more potent in COX-1 i
nhibition than R(-). The measured effect of R(-) is not caused by meta
bolic inversion of inactive R(-) to active S(+) during the assay.