Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Putrescine — a potent endogenous anti-inflammatory substance in inflammatory exudates

  • Immunosuppression and Inflammation
  • Published:
Agents and Actions Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Sponge-induced exudate from the rat and saline extracts of normal rat liver and rat liver damagedin situ by dimethylnitrosamine have been assayed for putrescine, spermidine and spermine levels. The three physiological oligoamines have been examined for anti-inflammatory activity by the carrageenan-induced oedema rat model and spermidine and putrescine were found to be anti-inflammatory with putrescine being about ten times as active as spermidine. Putrescine was also anti-inflammatory in the adjuvant arthritic rat model.

Thioacetamide and theophylline were also anti-inflammatory and theophylline doubled the level of putrescine in rat liver. It was concluded that putrescine was a potent anti-inflammatory factor in the inflammatory exudates and extracts examined.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. T.H. Rindani,Recovery of an anti-inflammatory fraction from inflammatory exudate, Indian J. med. Res.44, 673–676 (1956).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. G.D. Pasquale, R.J. Gired, V.L. Beach andB.G. Steinetz,Antiphologistic action of granuloma pouch exudates in intact or adrenalectomised rats, Am. J. Physiol.205, 1080–1082 (1963).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. R.H. Persellin,Lysosome stabilization by adjuvant arthritis serum, Arthritis Rheum.15, 144–152 (1972).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. D.A. Lewis, R.B. Capstick andR. Best,The control of rheumatic disease by endogenous protein, Biochem. Pharmac.25, 1435–1436 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  5. K.H. Hempel, L.A. Fernandez andR.H. Persellin,Effect of pregnancy sera on isolated lysosomes, Nature225, 955–956 (1970).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. M.E.J. Billingham, B.V. Robinson andJ.M. Gaugas,The anti-inflammatory components in antilymphocytic serum, Nature227, 276–277 (1970).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. M.E.J. Billingham, B.V. Robinson andJ.M. Robson,Partial purification of the anti-inflammatory factors in inflammatory exudate, Br. J. Pharmac.35, 543–557 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  8. R.S. Pinals,Effect of hepatic injury on adjuvant arthritis, Ann. rheum. Dis.32, 471–474 (1973).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. B.V. Robinson andJ.M. Robson,Production of an anti-inflammatory substance at a site of inflammation, Br. J. Pharmac.23, 420–432 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  10. R.B. Capstick, D.A. Lewis andJ.A. Cosh,Naturally occurring factors in the synovial fluids of patients with rheumatic disease and their possible mode of action, Ann. rheum. Dis.34, 213–218 (1975)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. M.E.J. Billingham, A.H. Gordon andB.V. Robinson,Role of the liver in inflammation, Nature, New Biol.231, 26–27 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  12. D.C. Atkinson andR. Hicks,Relationship between the anti-inflammatory and irritant properties of inflammatory exudate, Br. J. Pharmac.41, 480–487 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  13. D.C. Atkinson andR. Hicks,The possible occurrence of endogenous anti-inflammatory substances in the blood of injured rats, Br. J. Pharmac.53, 85–91 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  14. E.D. Maguire andR.B. Wallis,The role of bacterial contamination in the isolation of apparent anti-inflammatory factors from rabbit anti-lymphocytic serum, Br. J. Pharmac.59, 261–268 (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  15. M.J.H. Smith, A.W. Ford-Hutchinson andJ.R. Walker,Anti-inflammatory activity of bacterial endotoxin, J. Pharm. Pharmac.29, 702–704, (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  16. D.A. Lewis, R. Best, J. Bird andD.P. Parrott,Formation of anti-inflammatory proteins following liver damage in rats. In Proceedings of the 7th International Congress of Pharmacology, p. 335 Paris (1978).

  17. J. Bird andD.A. Lewis,Some possible mechanisms of action of an endogenous anti-inflammatory protein. Br. J. Pharmac.66, 455P (1979).

  18. J. Bartholeyns, J.R. Fozard andN.J. Prakash,Dexamethasone inhibition of carrageenin paw oedema in the rat required de novo synthesis of putrescine, Br. J. Pharmac.72, 182–183P (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  19. B.V. Robinson andJ.M. Robson,Further studies on the anti-inflammatory factor found at a site of inflammation. Br. J. Pharmac.26, 372–384 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  20. D.A. Lewis, J. Bird andR. Best,Anti-inflammatory action following liver damage in the rat, Agents and Actions9, 201–204 (1979).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. N.V. Seiler andA. Askar,A micro method for the quantitative estimation of putrescine in tissues, J. Chromat.62, 121–127 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  22. N.V. Seiler andM. Wiechmann,Die Mikrobestimmung von Spermin und Spermidin a/s-Dimethylamino-napthalin-5-sulfunsciure-Derivate, Hoppe-Seyler's, Z. physiol. Chem.48, 1285–1290 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  23. C.A. Winter, E.A. Risley andG.W. Nuss,Carrageenan induced oedema in hind paws of the rat as an assay for anti-inflammatory drugs. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med.111, 544–547 (1962).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. J.M. Harris andP.S.J. Spencer,A modified plethysmographic apparatus for recording volume changes in the rat paw. J. Pharm. Pharmac.14, 464–466 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  25. B.B. Newbould,Chemotherapy of arthritis in rats by mycobacterial adjuvant, Br. J. Pharmac.21, 1–10 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  26. S.P. Liyanage, H.L.F. Curry andB. Vernon-Roberts,Influence of tubercle aggregates size on severity of adjuvant arthritis in the rat, Ann. rheum. Dis.34, 49–53 (1975).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. G.R. McKinney andP.M. Lish,On the anti-inflammatory activity of aminophylline, Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med.117, 280–283 (1964).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. J. Bird andD.A. Lewis,A relationship between putrescine and the anti-inflammatory activity of sponge exudate, Br. J. Pharmac.72, 204P (1981).

  29. V. Bachrach, The induction of ornithine decarboxylase in normal and neoplastic cells. InPolyamines in Biomedical Research, pp. 81–107 (Ed.J.M. Gaugas). J. Wiley and Sons, New York 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  30. J.S. Heller andE.S. Cannellakis, Minimal requirements for the induction of the antizyme to ornithine decarboxylase. Inpolyamines in Biomedical Research, pp. 135–145 (Ed.J.M. Gaugas). J. Wiley and Sons, New York 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  31. B. Weiss andR.M. Levin inAdvances in Cyclic Nucleotide Research, vol. 19 p. 285 (EdsW.J. George andL.J. Ignarro). Raven Press, New York 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  32. W.T. Beck, R.A. Bellantone andE.S. Cannellakis,The in vivo stimulation of rat liver ornithine decarboxylase by dibutyryl c-AMP, theophylline and dexamethasone Biochem. biophys. Res. Comm.48, 1649–1655 (1972).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. R.J. Flower andG.J. Blackwell,Anti-inflammatory steroids induce biosynthesis of a phospholipase A 2 inhibitor which prevents prostaglandin generation. Nature278, 456–459 (1979).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pharmacological Laboratories, Department of Pharmacy, University of Aston, Gosta Green, B4 7ET, Birmingham, UK

    J. Bird, S. Mohd-Hidir & D. A. Lewis

Authors
  1. J. Bird
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Mohd-Hidir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D. A. Lewis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bird, J., Mohd-Hidir, S. & Lewis, D.A. Putrescine — a potent endogenous anti-inflammatory substance in inflammatory exudates. Agents and Actions 13, 342–347 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01971486

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01971486

Keywords

Search

Navigation