Antiinflammatory Effects of the Neuropeptide ?-MSH in Acute, Chronic, and Systemic Inflammation

α-Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (MSH) decreases cyclosporine A induced apoptosis in cultured human proximal tubular cells

“…-MSH, an endogenous antiinflammatory cytokine, has been known to reduce cellular infiltrations in various inflammatory conditions such as rat model of arthritis and liver injury from septic shock (20)(21)(22)(23). -MSH also has been reported to have a beneficial effect in ischemia/ reperfusion injury through its inhibitory action on the mouse chemokine KC and ICAM-1 messages and on the induction of iNOS with a resultant decrease in peroxynitrate production (24).…”

“…-melanocyte stimulating hormone ( -MSH) is a proopiomelanocortin derivatives and is an endogenous cytokine that suppresses the inflammation in various animal models by way of its inhibitory action on proinflammatory cytokines and chemoattractant chemokines (20)(21)(22)(23) The pathogenesis of chronic cyclosporine A (CsA) nephrotoxicity has not been elucidated, but apoptosis is thought to play an important role in CsA induced tubular atrophy. Recently Fas-Fas ligand system mediated apoptosis has been frequently reported in many epithelial cells as well as in T lymphocytes.…”

Leptin Is an Endogenous Protective Protein against the Toxicity Exerted by Tumor Necrosis Factor

“…Thus these two arms are also interrelated. One of the receptors for ␣-MSH, melanocortin-1 receptor, is found on neutrophils and macrophages, and is postulated to mediate the antiinflammatory effects of ␣-MSH (33,35). However, the antiinflammatory effect of ␣-MSH involves both central and peripheral signals (36), suggesting an involvement of yet another receptor subtype that mediates central signaling.…”

“…It is highly likely that the protective effect of leptin is mediated by ␣-MSH, which was shown to protect against endotoxin-induced liver injury and mortality (33,34). The action of ␣-MSH resembles that of glucocorticoids in that it inhibits the production of proinflammatory mediators (33,35).…”

Melanocortins: Anti-Inflammatory and Neuroprotective Peptides

“…Circulating levels of -MSH have also been shown to be increased in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, MS, PD, and HIV infection (Catania et al, 2000). Anti-inflammatory actions of melanocortins have been widely studied in animal models of systemic inflammation such as septic shock where -MSH has been shown to reduce circulating levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF- and IL-1 (Gonindard et al, 1996) and to improve animals' survival rate from 10% to 50% by 24 h (Lipton et al, 1994). Treatment with ACTH and POMC-derived peptides was also shown to inhibit cytokine release and neutrophil migration in a mouse www.intechopen.com model of acute experimental inflammation (Getting et al, 1999).…”