title: Additional inhibitors of rat serum acute phase alpha 2-macroglobulin levels. Effect of 6-mercaptopurine and some lipoxygenase and cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors.
abstract: With the use of a previously described electroimmunoassay, 4 more compounds were found to depress acute phase alpha 2-macroglobulin levels in rat serum following the injection of turpentine. The compounds, meclofenamic acid, dextropropoxyphene, 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid and 6-mercaptopurine are thus grouped with a variety of anti-inflammatory agents, cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors, hypolipidaemics and colchicine, all of which share the property of reducing the concentration of alpha 2-macroglobulin in rat serum. Compounds with immunosuppressant properties, namely amethopterin, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide and 5-fluorouracil, the steroids, betamethasone and dexamethasone, the lipoxygenase inhibitor, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, and MK477, a compound said to stimulate prostaglandin synthesis, did not reduce serum levels of the acute phase protein. 6-Mercaptopurine, a compound known to show anti-inflammatory properties in some systems, proved to be the strongest inhibitor found so far. The rat acute phase protein electroimmunoassay may thus be an effective screen for detecting a new class of anti-inflammatory agents. Knowledge of the mechanisms of action of drugs that depress rat serum alpha 2-macroglobulin concentrations may promote understanding of the control of acute phase protein production by the liver.
mesh_terms: D015117:5,8,11,14-Eicosatetraynoic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002994:Clofibrate / Q000494:pharmacology; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D011431:Dextropropoxyphene / Q000494:pharmacology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D016859:Lipoxygenase Inhibitors; D008297:Male; D008469:Meclofenamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D015122:Mercaptopurine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D016859:Lipoxygenase Inhibitors; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins; D015117:5,8,11,14-Eicosatetraynoic Acid; D008469:Meclofenamic Acid; D015122:Mercaptopurine; D002994:Clofibrate; D011431:Dextropropoxyphene