Abstract
Summary
The anti-edema properties of ulcerogenic doses of indomethacin were shown to be due to the concomitant influence of specific (anti-inflammatory) and nonspecific (presence of intestinal lesions) effects. The fat-free diet (FFD) prevented and/or reduced both the incidence and degree of indomethacin-induced intestinal lesions without reducing, but rather enhancing, anti-inflammatory activity through a specific effect.
These findings are at variance with the hypothesis that anti-inflammatory activity and side effects of indomethacin have a common denominator. The greater anti-inflammatory activity displayed by indomethacin in FFD as compared to regular diet (RD)-fed rats might be attributed to differences in body distribution of the drug. It is tempting to speculate that feeding a fat free or a low fat diet might reduce NSAI-induced gastrointestinal disturbances without reducing therapeutic efficacy.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.