The pro‐drug sulindac may reduce the risk of intestinal damage associated with the use of conventional non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs

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Abstract
SUMMARY: To test the hypothesis that administration of a non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug formulated as a pro‐drug, inactive as a cyclooxygenase inhibitor until after absorption, might cause less intestinal damage than conventional non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, intestinal permeation to 51Cr‐EDTA and mannitol was assessed in healthy volunteers before and after oral treatment for 1 week with either the pro‐drug sulindac or the conventional non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug indomethacin. Indomethacin, but not sulindac, significantly increased intestinal permeation to 51Cr‐EDTA and reduced haemoglobin and haematocrit; neither affected mannitol permeation.