Meloxicam Elevates Serum Concentration of Erythropoietin and Numbers of Bone Marrow Erythroid Progenitor Cells in Sublethally Gamma-Irradiated Mice

Meloxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug selectively inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2, has been found to enhance the regeneration of erythroid progenitor cells (BFU-E) in the femoral bone marrow of mice when administered after sublethal irradiation (4 Gy gamma-rays). In mice treated with meloxicam once daily on days 3, 4, 5, and 6 after irradiation, the values of BFU-E per femur in meloxicam-treated mice were on days 7 and 14 after irradiation at the levels of 156 % and 191 %, respectively, related to those in irradiated saline-treated controls (P P P < 0.05). These findings may have practical implications in the treatment of myelosuppression