Immunosuppressive agents

Abstract

An immunosuppressive agent which is very effective for treating autoimmune disease, inflammatory reaction, fibrosis or dysfunction caused by autoimmune disease and related disease thereof with tissue injury or infection rejection of transplantation, graft versus host disease by bone marrow (hematopoietic stem cell) transplantation, or allergic disease, by selectively inhibiting the activated T cells, is provided.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An immunosuppressive agent comprising a compound having a selective inhibitory activity against the activated T cells, as an active ingredient.  
     
     
         2 . The immunosuppressive agent as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said agent is used for treatment of rejection of transplantation.  
     
     
         3 . The immunosuppressive agent as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said agent is used for treatment of graft versus host disease by bone marrow (hematopoietic stem cell) transplantation.  
     
     
         4 . The immunosuppressive agent as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said agent is used for treatment of autoimmune disease.  
     
     
         5 . The immunosuppressive agent as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said autoimmune disease is autoimmune hepatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis (MS), scleroderma, myasthenia gravis, multiple myositis/dermatomyositis, Hashimoto's disease, autoimmune hypocythemia, Sjögren's syndrome, angitis syndrome or systemic lupus erythematosus.  
     
     
         6 . The immunosuppressive agent as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said agent is used for treatment of inflammatory reaction, fibrosis or dysfunction caused by autoimmune disease or related disease thereof with tissue injury or infection.  
     
     
         7 . The immunosuppressive agent as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said agent is used for treatment of allergic disease.  
     
     
         8 . The immunosuppressive agent as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said allergic disease is bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, urticaria, or pollinosis.  
     
     
         9 . An immunosuppressive agent as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  8 , wherein said agent comprises flavanoids or chromones represented by the following formula (I):  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein, 
 R is hydrogen atom or a phenyl group which may be substituted with one or two hydroxy groups,  
 Rha is α-L-rhamnose residue, and  
 dotted line indicates with or without double bond, as active ingredient.  
 
       
     
     
         10 . The immunosuppressive agent as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein R of the formula (I) is hydrogen atom, 4-hydroxyphenyl, 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl or 3,5-dihydroxyphenl group.  
     
     
         11 . The immunosuppressive agent as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein flavanoids or chromones of the formula (I) is smitilbin of the formula (I-a), astilbin of the formula (I-b), engeletin of the formula (I-c), or eucryphin of the formula (I-d), represented by following formula.  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         12 . An immunosuppressive agent as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  8 , wherein said agent comprises plant extract containing flavanoids or chromones of the formula (I) of  claim 9 , as an active ingredient.  
     
     
         13 . The immunosuppressive agent as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein said plant extract is  Rhizoma Smilacis Glabrae  extract.  
     
     
         14 . Smitilbin represented by the following formula (I-a).