Prostaglandins and the mechanism of analgesia produced by aspirin‐like drugs

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Abstract
1 Resting splenic venous outflow from anaesthetized dogs contains prostaglandin-like material: the concentration increases after intra-arterial injections of bradykinin into the spleen, and is abolished by treatment with indomethacin. 2 Intra-arterial injections of bradykinin into the spleen of lightly anaesthetized dogs elicit a dose-dependent reflex increase in the blood pressure, which is reduced but not abolished by treatment with indomethacin. 3 Addition of prostaglandin E1 or E2 either by injections or by infusions restores the reflex increase in the blood pressure due to bradykinin injections after indomethacin treatment. 4 The sensitizing action of endogenously released prostaglandins at or near the afferent nerve endings is discussed. 5 The analgesic activity of aspirin-like drugs is explained in terms of the removal of the sensitizing activity of prostaglandins.