Effects of anti-inflammatory agents and some other drugs on prostaglandin biotransport.

The inhibitory effects of drugs on prostaglandin biotransport were studied by measuring the concentrative accumulation of 3H by rabbit choroid plexuses, segments of anterior uvea and kidney cortex slices after incubation in tissue culture medium containing 3H-prostaglandin F2 alpha. After 10 minutes of incubation in the absence of an inhibitor, the choroid plexus showed a tissue/medium 3H accumulation ratio of 14 +/- 0.7; after 30 minutes of incubation, the anterior uvea and the kidney cortex slices showed accumulation ratios of 6.4 +/- 0.5 and 5.6 +/- 0.1, respectively. The I50 values for inhibition of 3H accumulation by indomethacin were 10, 8 and 12 muM for the three tissues, respectively. Some related drugs-oxyphenbutazone, D-naproxen, l-naproxen, ibuprofen, phenylbutazone and pirprofen-were also found to be effective inhibitors of 3H accumulation (I50 for anterior uvea, 6-28 muM) whereas aspirin, dexamethasone phosphate and penicillin had an inhibitory effect only at much higher concentrations (I50 0.1-2.0 mM). Papaverine, fursemide and probenecid were approximately as effective as the anti-inflammatory organic acids (I50 0.01-0.1 mM), whereas bromcresol green was at least 10-fold more effective. Diphenhydramine and the nonacidic prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, phenelzine and paracetamol, showed little (I50 greater than 1 mM) or no inhibitory effect. The inhibition of this transport system by some drugs, most notably nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory organic acids, and consequent alterations in the distribution and disposition of prostaglandins must be taken into account in the development of new anti-inflammatory agents and in the interpretation of the mechansim of action and side effects of such drugs.