General pharmacology of meloxicam--Part I: Effects on CNS, gastric emptying, intestinal transport, water, electrolyte and creatinine excretion.

The general pharmacodynamic properties of meloxicam, a new nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), were examined. Characteristics that distinguish meloxicam from conventional NSAIDs were investigated. No central-nervous-system effects were observed in the mouse at oral doses up to 100 mg/kg. In vitro studies showed meloxicam had no antagonistic properties against mediators such as histamine, PGE2 and angiotensin II. The rate of gastric emptying or intestinal transport in the rat was not influenced by therapeutic doses of meloxicam and, of all the NSAIDs investigated, meloxicam showed the mildest effect on gastric acidity. In doses well above those required for anti-inflammatory action, meloxicam had no influence on water, electrolyte or creatinine excretion.