2003 - 07

Int J Colorectal Dis. 2003 Jul;18(4):320-9. Epub 2003 Jan 18.

Implications of reactive oxygen species and cytokines in gastroprotection against stress-induced gastric damage by nitric oxide releasing aspirin.

Brzozowski T, Konturek PC, Konturek SJ, Kwieciea S, Sliwowski Z, Pajdo R, Duda A, Ptak A, Hahn EG. Department of Physiology, Jagiellonian University School of Medicine, 16 Grzegorzecka Str., 31-531 Cracow, Poland.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Nitric oxide-releasing aspirin (NO-ASA) has been shown to inhibit cyclo-oxygenase and prostaglandin generation without causing mucosal damage, but the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cytokines in the action of ASA and NO-ASA against acute gastric damage has been little studied. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We compared the effect of NO-ASA and ASA on gastric lesions provoked by water-immersion and restraint stress (WRS), ischemia-reperfusion, and 100% ethanol. We determined the number and area of gastric lesions, gastric blood flow (GBF), plasma concentration of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and TNFalpha, expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), ROS generation, and the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration as an index of lipid peroxidation. RESULTS: Pretreatment with NO-ASA attenuated dose-dependently gastric erosions provoked by WRS, ischemia-reperfusion, and ethanol. In contrast, ASA aggravated significantly WRS-induced lesions, and this was accompanied by a fall in the GBF, suppression of prostaglandin E(2) generation, and significant rise in ROS chemiluminescence and in plasma TNFalpha and IL-1beta levels. ASA also enhanced significantly the mucosal MDA content and downregulated SOD and GPx mRNA, and these effects were markedly reduced by NO-ASA. CONCLUSION: Coupling of NO to ASA attenuates stress, ischemia-reperfusion, and ethanol-induced damage due to mucosal hyperemia mediated by NO, which compensates for prostaglandin deficiency induced by ASA. ASA aggravates WRS damage via enhancement of ROS and cytokine generation and suppression of SOD and GPx, and these effects are counteracted by NO released from NO-ASA.



Pol J Pharmacol. 2003 Jul-Aug;55(4):523-33.

Progress in pharmacotherapy of thrombosis.

Labuzek K, Krysiak R, Okopien B, Herman ZS. Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Silesia, PL 40-752 Katowice, Medyków 18, Poland.

Excessive coagulation and impaired fibrinolysis lead to many hemostatic disorders, which enhance the risk of development of life-threatening cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction, stroke, deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, belonging to the most important factors influencing morbidity and mortality in civilized societies. The adverse events induced by currently used drugs, the need for regular monitoring of coagulation parameters, inconvenient, in some cases, route of administration stimulate further search for novel, effective and safe methods of therapies of these disorders. In this paper, we describe those new agents which are now under experimental and clinical study, such us prostanoids, nitroaspirin, GP IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists, thienopyridine derivatives, collagen-GPVI and von Willebrand factor-GPIb-IX contact blockers, direct thrombin inhibitors, inhibitors of thrombin-platelet interactions, factor VII inhibitors and tissue factor-factor VII contact blockers. Based on the available literature, we discuss the possible role of these agents in the future prevention and treatment of thromboembolic diseases.