Pharmacologie clinique et biopharmaceutique

Abstrait

Glucocorticoids' Anti- and Pro-Inflammatory Effects: One Hormone, Two Actions

Lewis Hinter

Glucocorticoids area unit essential steroid hormones secreted from the ductless gland in response to worry. Since their discovery within the Forties, glucocorticoids are wide prescribed to treat inflammatory disorders and medicine cancers. Within the ancient read, glucocorticoids area unit thought to be anti-inflammatory drug molecules; but, rising proof suggests that corticoid actions area unit additional complicated than antecedent anticipated. The antiinflammatory drug activity of glucocorticoids is attributed to the repression of pro-inflammatory genes through signal transduction by their steroid receptor, the corticoid receptor (GR). The mechanisms modulating the pro-inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids aren't well understood. During this review, we have a tendency to discuss recent findings that offer insights into the mechanism by that GR signal will play a twin role within the regulation of the immune reaction. We have a tendency to theorise that these apparently opposite processes area unit operating along to organize the system to reply to a agent (pro-inflammatory effects) and later restore equilibrium (anti-inflammatory effects). Finally, we have a tendency to propose that crucial the mechanisms that underlie the tissue-specific effects of corticoids can offer a superb tool to develop additional economical and selective glucocorticoid therapies