We have evaluated the selectivity in vitro of various conventional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and new anti-inflammatory compounds (NS-398, L-745,337 and SC58125) in inhibiting the cyclooxygenase activity of platelet prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase (PGHS)-1 and monocyte PGHS-2 in a human whole blood assay. The effects of the compounds towards the cyclooxygenase activity of monocyte PGHS-2 induced in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was evaluated by measuring the levels of PGE2 produced in plasma. The effects of the same inhibitors on platelet PGHS-1 activity were assessed by allowing 1-ml whole blood samples to clot at 37 degrees C for 1 h in the presence of the compounds and measuring immunoreactive TXB2 levels in serum. Under these experimental conditions, most compounds resulted equipotent towards the two isozymes. Differently, meloxicam, nimesulide and diclofenac were approximately 10- to 20-fold more potent in inhibiting the cyclooxygenase activity of monocyte PGHS-2 than platelet PGHS-1. L-745,337, NS-398 and SC58125 achieved selective inhibition of monocyte PGHS-2 (IC50, PGHS-1/IC50, PGHS-2: < 100) and may provide adequate tools to test the contribution of this novel pathway of arachidonate metabolism to human inflammatory disease and to verify the hypothesis that the common side-effects of NSAIDs are due primarily to their ability to affect the activity of PGHS-1.