Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) is the drug most commonly selfadministered to reduce inflammation, swelling, and pain. The established mechanism of action of aspirin is inhibition of the enzyme cyclo-oxygenase (COX). Once taken, aspirin is rapidly deacetylated to form salicylic acid, which may account, at least in part, for the therapeutic actions of aspirin. However, where tested, salicylic aci...

A lengthening in prothrombin time by giving salicylates was first observed in the animal experiments of Link, Overman, Sullivan, Huebner, and Scheel (1943). This result, and a comparison of the structures of coumarin-like anticoagulants (Overman, Stahmann, Huebner, Sullivan, Spero, Doherty, Ikawa, Graf, Roseman, and Link, 1944), led Link to conclude that dicoumarol (3,3'-methylenebis [4hydroxyc...

The essential oils of wintergreen and birch are composed primarily methyl salicylate. Because this compound can easily be synthesized, frequently adulterated. By using Gas chromatography-combustion/pyrolysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C/P-IRMS) in conjunction with TC/EA-IRMS, GC-FID, GC-MS, 14C radiocarbon dating, criteria will established that used to distinguish authentic natural fro...

Salicylate toxicity continues to be encountered commonly in emergency medicine. This article portrays the signs and symptoms of salicylate toxicity, reviews the erratic absorption and elimination kinetics, describes the devastating physiologic effects of overdose, and illustrates the potentially subtle manifestations of chronic aspirin toxicity.

Aspirin, indomethacin, and sodium salicylate are anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic. Whereas aspirin and indomethacin inhibit prostaglandin synthetase (cyclo-oxygenase; 8,11,14-eicosatrienoate, hydrogen-donor: oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.14.99.1), salicylate does not. However, all three drugs affect the metabolism of arachidonate via the lipoxygenase pathway by inhibiting the convers...

To determine the role of C-Rel in nitric-oxide synthase-2 (NOS-2) transcriptional activation, we evaluated the effect of lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma (LPS/IFNgamma) on C-Rel DNA binding in RAW 264.7. LPS/IFNgamma-stimulated C-Rel binding peaked at 4 to 8 h and declined at 24 h. Transfection of cells with a C-Rel small interfering RNA abrogated C-Rel binding at all time points. LPS/IF...

Addition of sodium salicylate to human serum at concentrations often obtained during aspirin therapy causes 100-200% increases in free triiodothyronine (T(3)) and free thyroxine (T(4)) as estimated by ultrafiltration. The increase in free T(3) was unexpected since previous data had suggested that salicylate inhibits binding of T(4) only to thyroxine-binding prealbumin (TBPA) and that T(3) is no...