cu-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (a-MSH,.,,) and its COOHterminal tripeptide ol-MSH,,.,, (Lys Pro Val) inhibit inflammation when administered systemically. Recent evidence indicates that c~-MSH,.,, can likewise inhibit inflammation in the skin solely via an action within the brain. Because of the potential importance of this discovery to understanding the control of inflammation and because (u...

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common cause of hospital-related mortality; therefore, strategies to either prevent or treat this complication are of great interest. In this issue of the JCI, Inoue, Abe, and colleagues have uncovered a targetable neuroimmunomodulatory mechanism that protects mice from ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and subsequent AKI. Specifically, the authors demonstrate tha...

Purpose: The study aimed to assess the depressant or antidepressant effects of several Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) in mice: the selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor meloxicam, and the non-selective COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors lornoxicam, sodium metamizole, and ketorolac. The current literature data regarding such effects of these agents are scarce. Materials and methods...

Intravenous challenge with parasite antigens in Nippostrongylus brasiliensis-sensitized rats resulted in anaphylactic shock and, in some animals, death. Surviving animals showed significant drop in mean arterial blood pressure, cardiac output, and blood flow to the trachea, bronchioles, and mesentery. After anaphylaxis, changes in the cellular and protein composition in bronchoalveolar lavage f...

The recognition that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may have systemic manifestations and often suffer from comorbid conditions has important implications for therapy that require further research. The most likely link between COPD and extrapulmonary effects is that inflammation in the lung periphery "spills over" into the systemic circulation and effects on other org...

Salvia leriifolia Benth. (vernacular names such as Nuruozak and Jobleh) is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows exclusively in south and tropical regions of Khorasan and Semnan provinces, I. R. Iran. Unlike other species of Salvia genus, the chemical constituents of S. leriifolia are not well recognized. The stem oil of the plant consisted mainly both monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, while i...

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs have been widely used for the management of inflammation, pain and nociception. Gastric intolerance caused by most of the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs used today restricts their use. Several approaches have been proposed to modify the parent nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs molecule in order to reduce their gastric toxicity. Oral prodrug approach is...