Renal Toxicity of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs represent the most heavily prescribed and used class of drugs in human medicine. Most are derivatives of either salicylates, propionic acid, indoleacetic acid, anthranilic acid, pyrazolone, or oxicams. They depress the synthesis of prostaglandins from arachidonic acid by reversible inhibition of the enzyme cyclooxygenase. In the kidney, prostaglandins PGE2 and PGI2 modulate the vasoconstrictor effects of angiotensin II, norepinephrine, and vasopressin. In the presence of volume contraction, anesthesia, or disease states associated with high levels of these hormones, prostaglandins regulate glomerular filtration, vascular resistance, and renin secretion. They additionally influence urine volume and sodium content. In man, a syndrome of analgesic abuse that has been identified worldwide occurs more frequently in females than males and can result in severe renal damage, most notably renal papillary necrosis. Most common laboratory animals are relatively resistant to deve...