Jpn. J. Pharmacol. 75 (4), 371-379 (1997)


The Effects of a Newly Developed Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug (M-5011) on Arachidonic Acid Metabolism in Rheumatoid Synovial Fibroblasts

Kenji Tobetto (1), Yumiko Yamamoto (1), Masanori Kataoka (1), Takao Ando (1), Kenji Sugimoto (2) and Michio Himeno (2)


(1) Research & Development Laboratories, Maruho Co., Ltd., 1-8-23 Oyodo-naka, Kita-ku, Osaka 531, Japan
(2) Department of Applied Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Osaka Prefecture, 1 Gakuen-cho, Sakai, Osaka 593, Japan

Abstract: M-5011 (d-2-[4-(3-methyl-2-thienyl)phenyl]propionic acid) is a newly developed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that displays potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties with low ulcerogenic activities in animal models. In this study, the effects of M-5011 on arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism in synovial fibroblasts from patients with rheumatoid arthritis were evaluated and compared with those of other NSAIDs in vitro. Either M-5011 or ketoprofen potently inhibited prostaglandin (PG) E2 production by cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 from exogenous AA in interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta)-stimulated cells. The IC50 values of M-5011 and ketoprofen were 4.4 x 10-7 and 5.9 x 10-7 M, respectively. However, diclofenac and indomethacin were one order less potent. Although the latter two drugs exhibited time-dependent and irreversible inhibition on COX-2 in IL-1beta-stimulated cells, the inhibitory effects of M-5011 and ketoprofen were reversible. PGE2 production by COX-1 from exogenous AA in non-stimulated cells was also inhibited by M-5011 with a potency less than that of ketoprofen. In addition, M-5011 inhibited [14C]AA release from prelabeled synovial cells stimulated with bradykinin. However, ketoprofen hardly affected the [14C]AA release. It is likely that the effects of M-5011 on AA metabolism are, in part, responsible for its in vivo efficacy and safety profile.

Keywords: M-5011, NSAID, Synovial cell, Cyclooxygenase, Arachidonic acid metabolism


Copyright© The Japanese Pharmacological Society 1997

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