PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review will critically highlight the role of leukotrienes as mediators of renal diseases and drug nephrotoxicity. It will also discuss the recently identified mechanism of cysteinyl leukotrienes induction and action, and will propose clinical implementation of these findings. RECENT FINDINGS Since last reviewed in 1994, leukotrienes were shown to mediate drug-associated...

The effects of leukotrienes on initiation of DNA synthesis in growth-arrested arterial smooth muscle cells cultivated in a defined, serum-free medium were studied. The results showed that LTB4, LTC4 and LTD4 were all stimulatory with a distinct effect already at 0.01 pM and a maximal effect at 10 pM; in contrast, LTE4 lacked effect. 5S,12S-DHETE, an isomer of LTB4, was inactive in itself but bl...

Leukotrienes are reported to be potent proinflammatory mediators that play a role in the development of several inflammatory diseases such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal disease. Leukotrienes have also been associated with protection against infectious diseases. However, the role of leukotrienes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is not understood. To answer this question,...

OBJECTIVES To examine the evidence for the efficacy and glucocorticoid sparing effect of oral anti-leukotrienes taken daily as add-on therapy to inhaled glucocorticoids in patients with asthma. DESIGN Systematic review of randomised controlled trials of children and adults with asthma comparing the addition of anti-leukotrienes or placebo to inhaled glucocorticoids. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Th...

To determine the role of leukotrienes in a mouse model of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, we correlated the quantity of leukotrienes in lung lavage fluids of infected mice with respiratory rates and measures of outflow obstruction and then determined the effects of the leukotriene inhibitor zileuton on clinical features and lung function. Concentrations of leukotrienes were correla...

Leukotrienes are inflammatory mediators that actively participate in the inflammatory response and host defense against pathogens. However, leukotrienes also participate in chronic inflammatory diseases. 5-lipoxygenase is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of leukotrienes and is thus a validated therapeutic target. As of today, zileuton remains the only clinically approved 5-lipoxygenase inhibito...

To examine whether leukotrienes could increase blood-brain barrier permeability, rats were anesthetized and injected intravenously with Evans blue. Ten microliters of vehicle, of leukotrienes B4, C4, or E4, or of arachidonic acid was injected over 1 hour directly into the brain parenchyma. The percentage of the total surface area of Evans blue extravasation in a coronal section of brain centere...