α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is a 13-amino acid peptide hormone produced by post-translational processing of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) in the pituitary gland, as well as in keratinocytes, astrocytes, monocytes, and gastrointestinal cells.1It is an agonist of melanocortin receptor 3 (MC3R) and MC4R that induces cAMP production in Hepa cells expressing the human receptors (EC50s = 0.16 and 56 nM, respectively).2α-MSH (100 pM) reducesS. aureuscolony formation andC. albicansgerm tube formationin vitro.3It inhibits endotoxin-, ceramide-, TNF-α-, or okadaic acid-induced activation of NF-κB in U937 cells.1α-MSH reduces IL-6- or TNF-α-induced ear edema in mice.4It also prevents the development of adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats and increases survival in a mouse model of septic shock. Increased plasma levels of α-MSH are positively correlated with delayed disease progression and reduced death in patients with HIV.1 1.Catania, A., Airaghi, L., Colombo, G., et al.α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone in normal human physiology and disease statesTrends Endocrinol. Metab.11(8)304-308(2000) 2.Miwa, H., Gantz, I., Konda, Y., et al.Structural determinants of the melanocortin peptides required for activation of melanocortin-3 and melanocortin-4 receptorsJ. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther.273(1)367-372(1995) 3.Cutuli, M., Cristiani, S., Lipton, J.M., et al.Antimicrobial effects of a-MSH peptidesJ. Leukoc. Biol.67(2)233-239(2000) 4.Lipton, J.M., Ceriani, G., Macaluso, A., et al.Antiiinflammatory effect of the neuropeptide a-MSH in acute, chronic, and systemic inflammationAnn. N.Y. Acad. Sci.25(741)137-148(1994)
1a,1b-dihomo Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is a rare polyunsaturated fatty acid first identified in extracts of sheep vesicular gland microsomes, known to contain COX, incubated with adrenic acid . 1a,1b-dihomo PGE2 has also been identified in conditioned media of RAW 264.7 macrophages stimulated with endotoxin and arachidonic acid . This product is thought to be produced by elongation of AA to adrenic acid, which is then metabolized sequentially by COX and PGE synthase.
Betamethasone 21-phosphate is a synthetic glucocorticoid.1It prevents increases in macrophage and eosinophil numbers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and decreases in blood leukocyte numbers in a guinea pig model of parainfluenza-3 viral infection when administered at a dose of 8 mg/kg but does not prevent airway hyperresponsiveness after infection.2Betamethasone 21-phosphate inhibits cell infiltration into the aqueous humor in a rat model of endotoxin-induced uveitis when administered topically or subcutaneously at doses of 0.01-1% or 1 mg/kg, respectively.3It increases maximal lung pressure volume curves in fetal sheep when administered to pregnant ewes at 0.75 gestation at doses of 80 and 170 μg/kg.1Betamethasone 21-phosphate increases body weight, impairs learning and memory, increases anxiolytic behavior, and reduces hippocampal neurogenesis in CD-1 mice but reduces body weight and increases neurogenesis with no effect on anxiety in high-anxiety DBA/2 mice when administered at a dose of approximately 25 mg/kg per day in the drinking water for seven weeks.4Formulations containing betamethasone 12-phosphate and betamethasone acetate have been used in the treatment of severe allergic conditions and a variety of immune-related conditions. 1.Loehle, M., Schwab, M., Kadner, S., et al.Dose-response effects of betamethasone on maturation of the fetal sheep lungAm. J. Obstet. Gynecol.202(2)186.e181-186.e187(2010) 2.Leusink-Muis, A., Ten Broeke, R., Folkerts, G., et al.Betamethasone prevents virus-induced airway inflammation but not airway hyperresponsiveness in guinea pigsClin. Exp. Allergy29(Suppl. 2)82-85(1999) 3.Tsuji, F., Sawa, K., Kato, M., et al.The effects of betamethasone derivatives on endotoxin-induced uveitis in ratExp. Eye Res.64(1)31-36(1997) 4.Aiello, R., Crupi, R., Leo, A., et al.Long-term betamethasone 21-phosphate disodium treatment has distinct effects in CD1 and DBA/2 mice on animal behavior accompanied by opposite effects on neurogenesisBehav. Brain Res.278155-166(2015)
Vipoglanstat is a prostaglandin E synthase inhibitor and an anti-inflammatory. Vipoglanstat ameliorates leukocyte infiltration and lung injury resulting from both endotoxin-induced and sepsis-induced lung injury.
AS 703026 has been shown to inhibit LPS-induced TNFα production in macrophages monocytes as well as protect from LPS-induced endotoxin shock. AS 703026 may be useful as an anti-inflammatory therapy for COPD patients.