Differential effects of ibuprofen and naproxen sodium on menstrual prostaglandin release and on prostaglandin production in the rat uterine homogenate

Andrea M. Powell, Wood Yee Chan
In: Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Medicine · 1984 · vol. 13(2) , pp. 129–137 · doi:10.1016/0262-1746(84)90002-7 · PMID:6585839 · W2026534564
article OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 1 in-corpus citation
View on OpenAlex View on PubMed View at publisher
⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-08 ⓘ

This study investigated how ibuprofen and naproxen sodium affect prostaglandin release in rat uteri and prostaglandin production in uterine homogenates.

One-sentence paraphrase of the abstract; not a substitute for reading it. No clinical advice. How this works

Abstract

In two independent studies, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium were found to be equi-effective in alleviating dysmenorrheic symptoms. However, the effects of these drugs on menstrual PG release were found to be dissimilar. Ibuprofen primarily inhibited menstrual PGF2 alpha release with little effect on PGE2 release, whereas, naproxen sodium inhibited both PGF2 alpha and PGE2 release equally. To verify these results, we determined the inhibitory potency, IC50, of ibuprofen and naproxen sodium on PGF2 alpha and PGE2 synthesis in the rat uterine homogenate system. The preferential PGF2 alpha inhibitory activity of ibuprofen was confirmed. These findings suggest that ibuprofen may, in addition to inhibiting fatty acid cyclooxygenase, also inhibit PGF2 alpha reductase, or some other PG metabolic pathways which affect PGF2 alpha and PGE2 synthesis differently. The significance of this differential PG synthesis inhibitory effect in dysmenorrheic therapy is discussed.

My notes (saved in your browser only)

Citation neighborhood (sparse)

Too few in-corpus citations on either side for a chart; here are the lists.

Cites (3)

Cited by (1)

References (13)

Cited by (1)

SciLite annotations

chemicals 15
ibuprofen naproxen sodium prostaglandin prostaglandin ibuprofen naproxen sodium ibuprofen sodium ibuprofen naproxen ibuprofen ibuprofen fatty acid
organisms 2
zitter rats zitter rats

Source provenance

openalex
last seen: 2026-06-10T17:14:06.276822+00:00
scilite
last seen: 2026-05-18T04:57:49.680383+00:00
License: CC0 · commercial use OK