Eicosanoids are strongly involved in mediating inflammation; therefore, all eicosanoids inhibitors work as anti-inflammatory agents.
Starting from the early step in the eicosanoid production pathway
Corticosteroids, specifically the glucocorticoids, interfere with the phospholipase A2 enzyme
Therefore, interfere with the production of almost all types of inflammatory eicosanoids.
Indeed, glucocorticoids are broad spectrum anti-inflammatory agents with wide range of biological effects
But unfortunately, they have wide range of notorious side effects
The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, abbreviated as NSAIDs,
Unselectively inhibit both COX1 and COX2 isozymes.
Remember glucocorticoid are steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs where as COX inhibitors are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
NSAIDs inhibits the production of all prostanoids including prostaglandin, thromboxane and prostacyclin.
It is clinically important to note that the blockage of prostaglandin production pathways by NSAIDs
Direct more arachidonic acid toward leukotrienes production which negatively affect asthmatic patients.
The relatively new selective COX2 inhibitors have no effect on COX1.
Therefore, they don’t interfere with thromboxane production
Going to leukotrienes pathways, you will notice that zileuton drug interfere with 5-lipooxygenase enzyme
Thus, inhibit the production of all inflammatory leukotrienes.
Finally, zafirlukast and montelukast drugs are selective competitive inhibitors of Leukotrienes C4, D4 and E4 receptors.
This video was narrated by Alexandra Daniele
Kings College London KCL University