Synonyms
NSAIDs; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; COX; cyclooxygenase; PGH-Synthase; Prostaglandin H Synthase
Definition
NSAIDs are among the most commonly used analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs. The major mechanism of action is supposed to be the inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) 1 and 2 enzymes, and thereby prostaglandin synthesis. However, since aspirin was reported to inhibit nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation (Kopp and Ghosh 1994), it is increasingly recognized that certain NSAIDs have various biological effects that are independent of cyclooxygenase activity and prostaglandin synthesis, and may account, at least in part, for their analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative effects. These effects mainly occur at drug concentrations beyond the IC50 (IC50 value) for COX-inhibition, and therefore probably occur primarily at high concentrations. Various mechanisms have been shown to be involved (Tegeder et al. 2001) and are summarized in this essay. A...
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References
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© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Niederberger, E., Tegeder, I. (2007). NSAIDs, COX-Independent Actions. In: Schmidt, R., Willis, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pain. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_2850
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_2850
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-43957-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-29805-2
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