Biochemical aspects of prostaglandins and thromboxanes

Abstract

In the studies of arachidonic acid metabolism, the chemical structure of biological active substances produced by the action of various lipoxygenases in platelet, leukocyte and tissues, are Lecoming clear. Furthermore, the relationships among their biological active substances, including prostaglandins and thromboxanes, and inflammatory process have been extensively studied. As these substances naturally function to be the host defense mechanism, regulation of their homeostasis well lead to develop the new-type drugs. For example, stimulators for the conversion of PGG2 to PGH2, scavengers of the oxygen-derived free radicals which are produced in the process of the metabolic pathway of arachidonic acid, antagonists of TXA2 and slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis, and inhibitors of thromboxane biosynthesis have the possiblity to be the new-type antiinflammatory drugs. At the elucidation of the pharmacokinetics of such substances, the establishment of determination methods monitoring various PG-TX in the clinical sides will be requied.