Aggravation of Inflammatory Bowel Disease by Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitors in Rats

The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor in in-vivo dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-stimulated distal colon tissues of the rat. Longitudinal colon tissue sections from DSS-treated rats exhibited noticeable inflammation, altered contraction, increased myleoperoxidase activity, and oxidative stress. When the animals were pretreated with celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, the flare of the colon was further worsened in terms of all the parameters studied. There was a reduction in PGE<sub>2</sub> levels on chronic administration of celecoxib in DSS-treated animals. The results of the present study suggest that COX-2 enzyme and prostaglandins derived from COX-2 might play a defensive role in protecting ulceration of the colon akin to that seen in the upper gastrointestinal tract.