Prostaglandin analogues are a

class of drugs A drug class is a set of medications and other compounds that have a similar chemical structures, the same mechanism of action (i.e. binding to the same biological target), a related mode of action, and/or are used to treat the same disease. In ...

that bind to a

prostaglandin receptor Prostaglandin receptors or prostanoid receptors represent a sub-class of cell surface membrane Receptor (biochemistry), receptors that are regarded as the primary receptors for one or more of the classical, naturally occurring prostanoids viz., pros ...

. Wider use of prostaglandin analogues is limited by unwanted side effects and their abortive potential.

Uses

Prostaglandin analogues such as

misoprostol Misoprostol is a synthetic prostaglandin medication used to prevent and treat stomach and duodenal ulcers, induce labor, cause an abortion, and treat postpartum bleeding due to poor contraction of the uterus. Misoprostol is taken by mouth wh ...

are used in treatment of

duodenal The duodenum is the first section of the small intestine in most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of the small intestine are not as clear, and the terms anterior intestine or proximal intestine ...

and

gastric ulcers Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a break in the inner lining of the stomach, the first part of the small intestine, or sometimes the lower esophagus. An ulcer in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, while one in the first part of the intestines i ...

. Misoprostol and other prostaglandin analogues protect the lining of the gastrointestinal tract from harmful stomach acid and are especially indicated for the

elderly Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...

on continuous doses of

NSAID Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are members of a therapeutic drug class which reduces pain, decreases inflammation, decreases fever, and prevents blood clots. Side effects depend on the specific drug, its dose and duration of ...

s. In the field of

ophthalmology Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a medic ...

, drugs of this class are used to lower

intraocular pressure Intraocular pressure (IOP) is the fluid pressure inside the eye. Tonometry is the method eye care professionals use to determine this. IOP is an important aspect in the evaluation of patients at risk of glaucoma. Most tonometers are calibrated to ...

(IOP) in people with

glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye rem ...

. Up until the late 1970s prostaglandins were thought to raise IOP, but a paper published in 1977 showed that

prostaglandin F2α Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α in prostanoid nomenclature), pharmaceutically termed carboprost is a naturally occurring prostaglandin used in medicine to induce labor and as an abortifacient. Prostaglandins are lipids throughout the entire body that ...

lowered it, and subsequent studies found that this was due to increasing the outflow of

aqueous humor The aqueous humour is a transparent water-like fluid similar to plasma, but containing low protein concentrations. It is secreted from the ciliary body, a structure supporting the lens of the eyeball. It fills both the anterior and the posterior ...

, mainly by relaxing the

ciliary muscle The ciliary muscle is an intrinsic muscle of the eye formed as a ring of smooth muscleSchachar, Ronald A. (2012). "Anatomy and Physiology." (Chapter 4) . in the eye's middle layer, uvea ( vascular layer). It controls accommodation for viewing ...

, and possibly also due to changes in

extracellular matrix In biology, the extracellular matrix (ECM), also called intercellular matrix, is a three-dimensional network consisting of extracellular macromolecules and minerals, such as collagen, enzymes, glycoproteins and hydroxyapatite that provide stru ...

and to widening of spaces within the

trabecular meshwork The trabecular meshwork is an area of tissue in the eye located around the base of the cornea, near the ciliary body, and is responsible for draining the aqueous humor from the eye via the anterior chamber (the chamber on the front of the e ...

. This work led to the development of

prodrugs A prodrug is a medication or compound that, after intake, is metabolized (i.e., converted within the body) into a pharmacologically active drug. Instead of administering a drug directly, a corresponding prodrug can be used to improve how the drug ...

of PGF2α, including

latanoprost Latanoprost, sold under the brand name Xalatan among others, is a medication used to treat increased pressure inside the eye. This includes ocular hypertension and open angle glaucoma. It is applied as eye drops to the eyes. Onset of effects i ...

, an isopropyl analogue of PGF2α, approved by the FDA in 1996,

bimatoprost Bimatoprost, sold under the brand name Lumigan among others, is a medication used to treat high pressure inside the eye including glaucoma. Specifically it is used for open angle glaucoma when other agents are not sufficient. It may also be used ...

and

travoprost Travoprost, sold under the brand name Travatan among others, is a medication used to treat high pressure inside the eye including glaucoma. Specifically it is used for open angle glaucoma when other agents are not sufficient. It is used as an eye ...

, both approved in 2001, and

tafluprost Tafluprost (trade names Taflotan by Santen Pharmaceutical, Zioptan by Merck in the US and Saflutan by Mundipharma in Australia) is a prostaglandin analogue. It is used topically (as eye drops) to control the progression of open-angle glaucoma and ...

, approved in 2012. However, there are notable side effects associated with usage, including increased eyelash growth, pigmentation of the iris, and darkening of the skin around the eye.

References

External links

* Drugs acting on the gastrointestinal system and metabolism Prostaglandins {{genito-urinary-drug-stub