Abstract
Lobenzarit disodium (CCA) is an immunomodulating antirheumatic drug. Its chemical structure is similar to that of mefenamic acid, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) . The mechanism of action of NSAID is the inhibition of fatty acid cyclooxygenase. CCA does not inhibit prostaglandin synthesis and is not effective in preventing acute inflammation. To further discriminate the pharmacological profile of these two drugs, we examined whether they demonstrate differential effects on the immunological abnomralities and the development of autoimmune disease in MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr (MRL/l) mice. Mefenamic acid neither improved the immunological abnormalities nor inhibited the development of autoimmune disease. In sharp contrast, CCA improved the immunological abnormalities and prolonged the life span in MRL/l mice. Although chemical structure of mefenamic acid is similar to that of CCA, two drugs showed different effects on the development of autoimmune disease in MRL/l mice.
