Salsalate

Mechanism of action

Relative to other NSAIDs, salsalate has a weak inhibitory effect on the cyclooxygenase enzyme and decreases the production of several proinflammatory chemical signals such as interleukin-6, TNF-alpha, and C-reactive protein.

The mechanism through which salsalate is thought to reduce the production of these inflammatory chemical signals is through the inhibition of IκB kinase resulting in decreased action of NF-κB genes. This mechanism is thought to be responsible for salsalate's insulin-sensitizing and blood sugar lowering properties.

Medical uses

Salsalate may be used for inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or noninflammatory disorders such as osteoarthritis.

Safety

The risk of bleeding is a common concern with use of the NSAID class of medications. However, the bleeding risk associated with salsalate is lower than that associated with aspirin use.

Research

Salsalate has been proposed for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus due to its ability to lower insulin resistance associated with inflammation and may be useful in prediabetes. However, the use of salsalate to prevent the progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes mellitus has received limited study.

History

Salsalate had been suggested as possible treatment for diabetes as early as 1876.

Synthesis

References

References

1. "Salsalate". drugs.com.
2. (March 2015). "Anti-inflammatory agents to treat or prevent type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease". Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs.
3. (July 2014). "Anti-inflammatory therapies for cardiovascular disease". European Heart Journal.
4. (July 2013). "AMPK: a target for drugs and natural products with effects on both diabetes and cancer". Diabetes.
5. (June 2014). "Salsalate, an old, inexpensive drug with potential new indications: a review of the evidence from 3 recent studies". American Health & Drug Benefits.
6. (May 2007). "Obesity: the two faces of fat". Nature.
7. (1876). "Zur therapie des diabetes mellitus, insbesondere uber die anwendung des salicylsauren natron bei demselben". Berliner Klinische Wochenschrift.
8. (1943). "Synthesis of Phenolic Acid Esters. I. Depsides1". Journal of the American Chemical Society.
9. (1951). "42. Eight- and higher-membered ring compounds. Part II. Di-, tri-, tetra-, and hexa-salicylides". Journal of the Chemical Society (Resumed).
10. "Verfarhen zur Darstellung einer kristallisierten Salicylosalicylsäure aus Salicylsäure oder ihrne Salzen [Process for preparing a crystallized salicylosalicylic acid from salicylic acid or its salts]".
11. "Verfarhen zur Darstellung einer kristallisierten Salicylosalicylsäure [Process for preparing a crystallized salicylosalicylic acid]".