Possible modes of action of nimesulide in controlling neutrophilic inflammation.

Even in recent years the development of new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) appears to be essentially driven by the archaic idea to protect humans from pain and other symptoms of inflammation. Very few attempts have been made to understand if any of these drugs can limit the tissue injury during one or several forms of inflammatory reaction. In studying the events underlying the development of the tissue injury during neutrophilic inflammation, it was found that at least a NSAID, i.e. nimesulide (CAS 51803-78-2), has high potential to interfere efficiently with the major pathway responsible for neutrophil-dependent histotoxicity. Other chemically related drugs, not classified as NSAIDs but used in disease conditions characterized by neutrophilic inflammation, i.e. dapsone and sulfapyridine, have similar activities. Therefore, it is suggested that derivates from sulfanilamide (nimesulide, dapsone and sulfapyridine) are the major candidates for developing rational therapeutic anti-inflammatory strategies for controlling the development of tissue injury during neutrophilic inflammation. Also, these molecules might serve to drive the synthesis of new histoprotective antiinflammatory drugs.