Cromoglicic acid
 | |
|---|---|
| Systematic (IUPAC) name | |
| 5,5′-(2-hydroxypropane-1,3-diyl)bis(oxy)bis(4-oxo-4H-chromene-2-carboxylic acid) | |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 16110-51-3 |
| ATC code | A07EB01 D11AH03 R01AC01 R03BC01 S01GX01 |
| PubChem | CID 2882 |
| DrugBank | APRD00336 |
| ChemSpider | 2779 |
| UNII | Y0TK0FS77W |
| KEGG | D07753 |
| ChEMBL | CHEMBL74 |
| Chemical data | |
| Formula | C23H16O11 |
| Mol. mass | 468.367 g/mol |
| SMILES | eMolecules & PubChem |
| Pharmacokinetic data | |
| Bioavailability | 1% |
| Half-life | 1.3 hours |
| Therapeutic considerations | |
| Pregnancy cat. | B |
| Legal status | inhaler POM, eye OTC(UK) nasal OTC, eye, inhaler Rx(US) |
| Routes | topical: oral, nasal spray, inhaled, eye drops |
 (what is this?) (verify) | |
Cromoglicic acid (INN) (also referred to as cromolyn (USAN), cromoglycate (former BAN), or cromoglicate) is traditionally described as a mast cell stabilizer, and is commonly marketed as the sodium salt sodium cromoglicate or cromolyn sodium. This drug prevents the release of inflammatory chemicals such as histamine from mast cells.
Because of their convenience (and perceived safety), leukotriene receptor antagonists have largely replaced it as the non-corticosteroid treatment of choice in the treatment of asthma. Cromoglicic acid requires administration four times daily, and does not provide additive benefit in combination with inhaled corticosteroids.
History
Cromolyn sodium was discovered by Dr. Roger Altounyan who was himself a lifelong asthma sufferer. It is considered a breakthrough drug in management of asthma as the patients can be freed from steroids in many cases, however, it is mainly effective as a prophylaxis for allergic and exercise induced asthma, not as a treatment for acute attacks. Dr. Altounyan was investigating certain plants and herbs which have bronchodilating properties. One such plant was Khella (Ammi visnaga) which had been used as a muscle relaxant since ancient times in Egypt. Dr. Altounyan deliberately inhaled derivatives of the active ingredient khellin to determine if they could block his asthma attacks. After several years of trial he isolated an effective and safe asthma-preventing compound called cromolyn sodium.
Preparations
Cromoglicic acid is available in multiple forms:
Mechanism of action
"Cromolyn works because it prevents the release of mediators that would normally attract inflammatory cells and because it stabilizes the inflammatory cells." Nedocromil is another mast cell stabilizer that also works in controlling asthma. The underlying mechanism of action is not fully understood; for while cromoglicate stabilizes mast cells, this mechanism is probably not why it works in asthma. Pharmaceutical companies have produced 20 related compounds that are equally or more potent at stabilising mast cells and none of them have shown any anti-asthmatic effect. It is more likely that these work by inhibiting the response of sensory C fibres to the irritant capsaicin, inhibiting local axon reflexes involved in asthma, and may inhibit the release of preformed T cell cytokines and mediators involved in asthma. (see review by Garland, 1991)
It is known to somewhat inhibit chloride channels (37% +/- 7%) and thus may inhibit the:
Note: Another chemical (NPPB: 5-nitro-2(3-phenyl) propylamino-benzoic acid) was shown, in the same study, to be a more effective chloride channel blocker.
Finally it may act by inhibiting calcium influx.
Cromoglicate is classified as a chromone.
References
Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cromoglicic_acid
