Clinical Implications of Prostaglandin and Thromboxane A₂Formation

(First of Two Parts)THE prostaglandins and thromboxane A2 are biologically active metabolites of arachidonic acid.1 , 2 Their actions and the pharmacologic agents that influence their formation affect almost every aspect of medical practice.The interactions of platelets with the vessel wall in catastrophic events in the coronary and cerebral arteries, as well as in diseases of smaller arterial vessels, have drawn attention to the participation of thromboxane A2 and prostacyclin (prostaglandin I2) in these pathophysiologic processes. Similarly, important medical consequences follow from the participation of prostaglandins in the pathophysiologic activities of the kidney, the mast cell, . . .