Peptide LKEKK Reduces Acute and Chronic Skin Inflammation

ABSTRACT

We have established that the peptide LKEKK (Np5) corresponding to the sequence 16-20 of thymosin-α1 and to the sequence 131-135 of interferon-α2, in the concentration range 50 300 Î¼g/ear reduces in a dose-dependent manner phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced skin edema in mice .Tested in parallel peptide with inverted sequence (iNp5, KKEKL, 150-300 Î¼g/ear) was inactive, indicating high specificity of the Np5 action. In the concentration range of 5 20 Î¼M Np5 significantly decrease the TNF-α-induced production by normal human keranocytes of pro-inflammatory mediators IL-6 and IL-1β. Thus, Np5t has a pronounced anti-inflammatory activity in vivo and in vitro.

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