Therapeutic agents - II

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to chemical agents useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of inflammatory conditions or in the amelioration of symptoms resulting from or facilitated by an inflammatory condition in a mammalian animal including human and primate, non-mammalian animal and avian species. More particularly, the present invention provides a chemical agent of the macrocyclic diterpene family obtaining from a member of the Euphorbiaceae family of plants or botanical or horticultural relatives thereof or derivatives or chemical analogues or chemically synthetic forms of the agents for use in the treatment or prophylaxis of an inflammatory condition or in the amelioration of symptoms resulting from or facilitated by an inflammatory condition in a mammal, animal or avian species. The present invention further contemplates a method for the prophylaxis or treatment of mammalian, animal or avian subjects for inflammatory conditions including chronic or transitory inflammatory conditions or for ameliorating. the symptoms of an inflammatory condition by the topical or systemic administration of a macrocyclic diterpene obtainable from a member of the Euphorbiaceae family or botanical or horticultural relatives thereof or a derivative, chemical analogue or chemically synthetic form of the agent. The chemical agent of the present invention may be in the form of a purified compound, mixture of compounds, a precursor form of one or more of the compounds capable of chemical transformation into a therapeutically active agent or be in the form of a chemical fraction, sub-fraction or preparation or extract of the plant.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to chemical agents useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of inflammatory conditions or in the amelioration of symptoms resulting from or facilitated by an inflammatory condition in a mammalian animal including human and primate, non-mammalian animal and avian species. More particularly, the present invention provides a chemical agent of the macrocyclic diterpene family obtaining from a member of the Euphorbiaceae family of plants or botanical or horticultural relatives thereof or derivatives or chemical analogues or chemically synthetic forms of the agents for use in the treatment or prophylaxis of an inflammatory condition or in the amelioration of symptoms resulting from or facilitated by an inflammatory condition in a mammal, animal or avian species. The present invention further contemplates a method for the prophylaxis or treatment of mammalian, animal or avian subjects for inflammatory conditions including...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention contemplates a method for the treatment or prophylaxis of an inflammatory condition in an subject, said method comprising the administration to said subject of a symptom-ameliorating effective amount of a chemical agent obtainable from a plant of the Euphorbiaceae family or a derivative or chemical analogue thereof which chemical agent is a macrocyclic diterpene selected from compounds of the ingenane, pepluane and jatrophane families and which chemical agent or derivative or chemical analogue is represented by any one of the general formulae (I)-(V) as defined herein and which chemical agent or derivative or chemical analogue thereof is capable of modulating PKC activity, PKC-dependent gene expression or PKC enzyme turnover and wherein said chemical agent or its derivatives or chemical analogues is administered for a time and under conditions sufficient to ameliorate one or more symptoms associated with said inflammatory condition.

[0013] Another aspect of the present invention contemplates a method for the immunopotentiation of a subject in the treatment and prophylaxis of said subject for infection by a pathogenic organism or a potential pathogenic organism, said method comprising the administration to said subject of a symptom-ameliorating effective amount of a macrocyclic diterpene, or a chemical fraction comprising same from a plant of the family Euphorbiaceae or a derivative or chemical analogue of said macrocyclic diterpene having the structures as defined above wherein said macrocyclic diterpene or its derivative or chemical analogue modulates PKC activity, synthesis or enzyme turnover, said administration being for a time and under conditions sufficient to potentiate components of the immune system.

[0014] Yet another aspect of the present invention provides a method for the treatment or prophylaxis of an inflammatory condition in a subject, said method comprising the administration to said subject of a symptom-ameliorating effective amount of a macrocyclic diterpene or chemical fraction comprising same from a plant of the family Euphorbiaceae or a derivative or chemical analogue of said macrocyclic diterpene having the structures as defined above wherein said macrocyclic diterpene or its derivative or chemical analogue modulates PKC activity, synthesis or enzyme turnover, said administration being for a time and under conditions sufficient to treat said inflammatory condition.

[0015] Still another aspect of the present invention contemplates a method of assessing the suitability of a chemical agent from Euphorbiaceae for the practice of the present invention. Numerical values are assigned to chemical agents including fractions comprising the chemical agents as set forth, for example, in Table A:—TABLE AFeatureValueAn ability to modulate PKC activity or effect+1An ability to induce bipolar dendritic activity+1An ability to displace phorbol dibutyrate from binding to PKC+1An ability to induce respiratory burst in leucocytes+1An ability to stimulate phagocytosis in peripheral+1blood mononuclear cellsDerived from a member of the Euphorbiacea family+1Derived from E. peplus+3Water extractible from the sap of Euphorbia sp.+2An ability to activate latent virus+4A lower tumor promotion activity than TPA / PMA+2

[0016] Still even another aspect of the present invention contemplates a method for the treatment or prophylaxis of an inflammatory condition in a subject, said method comprising administration to said subject of a symptom-ameliorating effective amount of a macrocyclic diterpene obtainable from a Euphorbiaceae plant or its botanical or horticultural relative, said macrocyclic diterpene being selected from an ingenane, pepluane or jatrophane, or a derivative or chemical analogue thereof, having the structure represented by any one of the general formulae (I)-(V) as defined below and wherein said chemical agent exhibits a potency of agent (PA) of >10, wherein the PA=ΣIV where IV is a numerical value associated with a particular feature as defined in Table A or pharmaceutically acceptable salts of these, said chemical agent being administered for a time and under conditions sufficient to ameliorate at least one symptom caused by or associated with inflammation.

[0017] Even yet another aspect the invention contemplates a method for immunopotentiating a subject, said method comprising administration to said subject of a potentiating effective amount of a macrocyclic diterpene obtainable from a Euphorbiaceae plant or its botanical or horticultural relative, said macrocyclic diterpene being selected from an ingenane, pepluane or jatrophane, or a derivative or chemical analogue thereof, having the structure represented by any one of the general formulae (I)-(V) as defined below and wherein said chemical agent exhibits a potency of agent (PA) of >10, wherein the PA=ΣIV where IV is a numerical value associated with a particular feature as defined above or pharmaceutically acceptable salts of these, said chemical agent being administered for a time and under conditions sufficient to immunopotentiate said subject.

Problems solved by technology

There have been a variety of inconclusive reports on the potential effects of the sap of these plants on a range of conditions as well as promoting tumorigenesis and causing skin and ocular irritation.

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