Cholinesterase inhibitors for treating inflammation

1 . A method of treating a subject with a cytokine-mediated inflammatory disorder, comprising: 
 administering to the subject a pharmaceutically acceptable cholinesterase inhibitor in an amount sufficient to reduce the level of a proinflammatory cytokine, provided that the inhibitor is not galantamine.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the inflammatory disorder is asthma, sepsis, peritonitis, pancreatitis, reperfusion injury, endotoxic shock, cachexia, adult respiratory distress syndrome, allograft rejection, cystic fibrosis and graft-versus-host disease.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the inflammatory disorder is asthma, peritonitis, pancreatitis, reperfusion injury, endotoxic shock, cachexia, adult respiratory distress syndrome, myocardial ischemia, allograft rejection, cystic fibrosis and graft-versus-host disease.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the inflammatory disorder is sepsis.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the inflammatory disorder is asthma.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the inflammatory disorder is peritonitis.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the inflammatory disorder is pancreatitis.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the inflammatory disorder is reperfusion injury.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the inflammatory disorder is endotoxic shock.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the inflammatory disorder is cachexia.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the inflammatory disorder is adult respiratory distress syndrome.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the inflammatory disorder is myocardial ischemia.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the inflammatory disorder is allograft rejection.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the inflammatory disorder is cystic fibrosis.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the inflammatory disorder is graft-versus-host disease.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the cholinesterase inhibitor is tacrine, a tacrine analog, fasciculin, metrifonate, heptyl-physostigmine, norpyridostigmine, norneostigmine, huperzine A or an analogue thereof, physostigmine, heptyl-physostigmine, velnacrine, citicoline, donepizil, 7-methoxytacrine, eptastigmine, icopezil, ipidacrine, zifrosilone, anseculin, suronacrine, linopiridine, rivastigmine, neostigmine, edrophonium, demacarium, ambenonium, arecoline, xanomeline, subcomeline, cevimeline, alvameline, milameline, talsaclidine, or compounds of formulae (XVIII)-(XXI):  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the cholinesterase inhibitor is tacrine, a tacrine analog, fasciculin, metrifonate, heptyl-physostigmine, norpyridostigmine, norneostigmine, physostigmine, heptyl-physostigmine, velnacrine, citicoline, donepizil, 7-methoxytacrine, eptastigmine, icopezil, ipidacrine, zifrosilone, anseculin, suronacrine, linopiridine, rivastigmine, neostigmine, edrophonium, demacarium, ambenonium, arecoline, xanomeline, subcomeline, cevimeline, alvameline, milameline, talsaclidine, or compounds of formulae (XVIII)-(XXI):  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the cholinesterase inhibitor is at least 95% pure by weight.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the cholinesterase inhibitor is tacrine.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the cholinesterase inhibitor is huperzine A.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the cholinesterase inhibitor is neostigmine.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the cholinesterase inhibitor is physostigmine.  
     
     
         23 . A method of reducing proinflammatory cytokine levels in a subject in need of such reduction, comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a pharmaceutically acceptable cholinesterase inhibitor, provided that the inhibitor is not galantamine.  
     
     
         24 . A method of treating a subject suffering from a disorder, comprising: 
 administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of pharmaceutically acceptable cholinesterase inhibitor,    wherein the disorder is asthma, sepsis, peritonitis, pancreatitis, reperfusion injury, endotoxic shock, cachexia, adult respiratory distress syndrome, allograft rejection, cystic fibrosis or graft-versus-host disease,    provided that the inhibitor is not galantamine.