Effect of substrate concentration on inhibition of prostaglandin synthetase of bull seminal vesicles by anti-inflammatory drugs and fenamic acid analogs.

Although microsomes of bull seminal vesicle synthesize prostaglandins F2alpha, E2 and D2 from arachidonic acid under suitable assay conditions, prostaglandin E2 is the only significant product at either low concentration of arachidonic acid or high concentration of microsomes. Studies of inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis in vitro by anti-inflammatory drugs at both high (1 mM) and low (1 muM) concentrations of arachidonic acid, suggest three distinct mechanisms of inhibition. Benzydamine and flazalone are non-competitive or weakly competitive with arachidonic acid and, at high concentrations of arachidonic acid, they augment sythesis of prostaglandin E2 while inhibiting production of prostaglandins F2alpha and D2. Niflumic acid and the arylacetic acids naproxen and ibuprofen are competitive inhibiting all products equally, but with 100-500-fold greater potency at the low substrate concentration. The fenamic acids, indomethacin, aspirin, and phenylbutazone also inhibit equally all prostaglandin products, but are only 20--50 times more potent at the low substrate concentration. Studies with analogs of the fenamic acids indicate that the diphenylamine protion of their structure is essential for inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis, whereas the o-carboxyl and m-alkul substitutents greatly enhance inhibitory potency.