Effect of two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, aspirin and nimesulide on the D-glucose transport and disaccharide hydrolases in the intestinal brush border membrane.

The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of two commonly prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with varying cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) selectivities on enzyme activities and transport properties of rat intestinal brush border membrane (BBM). Female Wistar rats were divided into three different groups, viz: Group I (Control), Group II (aspirin-treated, 50 mg/kg) and Group III (nimesulide-treated, 10 mg/kg). At the end of 28 days of treatment, membranes were isolated from different intestinal segments of all the groups and changes in BBM-associated enzymes such as sucrase, lactase, maltase, alkaline phosphatase and the transport properties of D-glucose and its kinetics were studied. The results indicated a significant decrease in the activities of enzymes and transport of glucose in both the treatment groups as compared to the controls. Changes in Michaelis-Menten parameters, viz:--Km and Vmax and the thermodynamic parameters T(c) and E(a) were also seen which are indicative of adverse effects of these two NSAIDs in the intestinal membrane such as the membrane integrity.