Chapter 15 Prostaglandin system in the brain: sites of biosynthesis and sites of action under normal and hyperthermic states

Abstract

This chapter reviews the recent progress in research on the brain prostaglandin (PG) system, with special attention on the in vivo location of enzymes involved in their biosynthesis and of their specific receptors under physiological, as well as pathological conditions. The recent biochemical studies, especially those that employed molecular biological techniques, have provided a great deal of information on the molecular nature of individual components of the PG system. Fever and hyperthermia are essentially distinct patho-physiological states, the former representing regulated elevation of the body temperature caused by immunological challenge and the latter representing its passive elevation caused by excessive heat load. In fact, inhibitors of PG synthesis, such as indomethacin, suppress fever but are not effective against hyperthermia. The release of PGs is dramatically increased by ischemia/reperfusion of the brain or by traumatic injury of the central nervous and treatment with a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, such as indomethacin, improves the neuronal injury. The onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease may be also slowed by the treatment with cyclooxygenase inhibitors. Thus, PGs are the key molecules involved in pathological changes in the central nervous system.