Antiinflammatory effects of Tremulacin, a Salicin-related substance isolated from Populus tomentosa Carr. leaves.

Tremulacin was shown to inhibit carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats and croton oil-induced ear edema in mice. It was also found to inhibit peritoneal leucocyte migration in rats and acetic acid-induced writhing responses in mice. Experiments with isolated longitudinal muscle strips of sensitized guinea pig ileum showed that tremulacin decreased the biosynthesis of Slow Reaction Substance of Anaphylaxis. Tremulacin exerted inhibitory effects on leukotriene B4 biosynthesis in intrapleural leucocytes. These results suggest that the mechanism of antiinflammatory actions of tremulacin is relevant to inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase activity. This is quite different from non-steroid antiinflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, which inhibits prostaglandin synthesis and being a cyclooxygenase inhibitor.