Repeated administration of the NSAID meloxicam alters the plasma and urine lipidome

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), such as meloxicam, are the mainstay for treating painful and inflammatory conditions in animals and humans; however, the repeated administration of NSAIDs can cause adverse effects, limiting the long-term administration of these drugs to some patients. The primary aim of this study was to determine the effects of repeated meloxicam administration on the feline plasma and urine lipidome. Cats (n = 12) were treated subcutaneously with either saline solution or 0.3 mg/kg body weight of meloxicam daily for up to 31 days. Plasma and urine lipidome were determined by LC-MS before the first treatment and at 4, 9 and 13 and 17 days after the first administration of meloxicam. The repeated administration of meloxicam altered the feline plasma and urine lipidome as demonstrated by multivariate statistical analysis. The intensities of 94 out of 195 plasma lipids were altered by the repeated administration of meloxicam to cats (p < 0.05). Furthermore, we identified 12 lipids in plasma and 10 lipids in urine that could serve as biomarker candidates for discriminating animals receiving NSAIDs from healthy controls. Expanding our understanding about the effects of NSAIDs in the body could lead to the discovery of mechanism(s) associated with intolerance to NSAIDs.