Mechanisms of Chondroprotective Activity of Nimesulide

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (osteoarthrosis) is a dege­ne­ra­tive disease of articular cartilage, and for its therapy we should usually use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In the present review it was shown that one of these drugs — nimesulide — additionally to anti-inflammatory activity as a result of preferential inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 has also chondroprotective effect due to in­hi­bi­tion of lipid peroxydation, decreasing of the level and activity of matrix metalloproteinases and inhibition of chondrocyte apoptosis in the cartilage tissue. Combination of anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective activity pro­du­ces more benefit effect on cartilage degeneration in a case of osteoarthritis.

Keywords

• osteoarthritis
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• chondroprotection
• lipid peroxydation
• matrix me­tallo­pro­teinases
• apoptosis