New cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors for treatment of experimental autoimmune neuritis.

We analyzed two new cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors, celecoxib (SC-58635) and meloxicam, for the treatment of experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN) in rats. Celecoxib and meloxicam significantly reduced clinical EAN score and histopathological damage of the sciatic nerve. They induced no serious side effects, whereas indomethacin used as a control caused severe intestinal ulceration and dysfunction of liver and kidney. These findings suggest that the new COX-2 inhibitors may be useful as additional therapeutic agents for patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.