Use of a novel non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug in the horse

Abstract

Summary In a two‐part cross‐over experiment in six ponies, an acute inflammatory reaction was generated by injecting carrageenin solution into subcutaneously‐implanted tissue‐cages lined with fibrovascular granulation tissue. In each part of the cross‐over, half of the ponies received a novel phenylpyrazoline antiinflammatory agent (BW540C) orally and half received a placebo treatment. BW540C inhibited platelet cyclo‐oxygenase for 24 h but the reductions in exudate eicosanoid concentrations were less pronounced. A significant suppression in the rise of surface skin temperature in BW540C‐treated ponies paralleled drug‐induced inhibition of thromboxane B 2 bicyclic prostaglandin (PG) E 2 concentrations at the inflamed site. The drug had no significant effect on 6‐keto‐PGF 1α , migrating leucocytes, lactate dehydrogenase or total protein in exudates. Maximum plasma concentrations of both compounds occurred 2 to 4 h after dosing and maximum exudate levels of drug and metabolite occurred at 12 h. Both compounds penetrated approximately three times less readily into exudate than into plasma.