TNF-alpha production inhibitor comprising kavalactone as an active ingredient

Abstract

The present invention provides a TNF-α production inhibitor containing a kavalactone as an active ingredient, which inhibitor has high safety, exerts an excellent effect of inhibiting TNF-α production, and is useful as a drug or an animal drug for preventing, ameliorating, or treating diseases such as cachexia attributed to cancer or infectious diseases, chronic rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory diseases, osteoarthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rejection during bone marrow transplantation, multiple organ failure, AIDS, meningitis, hepatitis, and type-II diabetes. The present invention also provides a preventive, ameliorating, or therapeutic agent for diseases caused by abnormal production of TNF-α, the agent containing a kavalactone as an active ingredient.

1 - 10 . (canceled)  
   
   
       11 . A method of treating one or more diseases caused by abnormal production of TNF-α in a patient in need thereof, wherein said disease is selected from the group consisting of cachexia related to infectious disease, septic shock, chronic rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn disease, osteoarthritis, Kawasaki's disease, multiple sclerosis, Behchet's disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, rejection during bone marrow transplantation, multiple organ failure, malaria, AIDS, meningitis, hepatitis, and type-II diabetes, comprising administering to said patient in need thereof an effective dose methysticin and at least one additional kavalactone.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said additional kavalactone is selected from the group consisting of desmethoxyyangonin, dihydrokavain, kavain, yangonin, dihydromethysticin, and 7,8-epoxyyangonin.  
   
   
       13 . A method of treating one or more diseases caused by abnormal production of TNF-α in a patient in need thereof, wherein said disease is selected from the group consisting of cachexia related to infectious disease, septic shock, chronic rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn disease, osteoarthritis, Kawasaki's disease, multiple sclerosis, Behchet's disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, rejection during bone marrow transplantation, multiple organ failure, malaria, AIDS, meningitis, hepatitis, and type-II diabetes, comprising administering to said patient in need thereof an effective dose of yangonin and at least one additional kavalactone.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said additional kavalactone is selected from the group consisting of desmethoxyyangonin, dihydrokavain, kavain, methysticin, dihydromethysticin, and 7,8-epoxyyangonin.  
   
   
       15 . A method of treating one or more diseases caused by abnormal production of TNF-α in a patient in need thereof, wherein said disease is selected from the group consisting of cachexia related to infectious disease, septic shock, chronic rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn disease, osteoarthritis, Kawasaki's disease, multiple sclerosis, Behchet's disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, rejection during bone marrow transplantation, multiple organ failure, malaria, AIDS, meningitis, hepatitis, and type-II diabetes, comprising administering to said patient in need thereof an effective dose of dihydrokavain and at least one additional kavalactone.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said additional kavalactone is selected from the group consisting of desmethoxyyangonin, kavain, yangonin, methysticin, dihydromethysticin.