About some possible anti-inflammatory properties of various membrane permeant agents.

Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs uncouple mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. They are membrane permeant agents. They also inhibit nucleic acids synthesis in lymphoid cells. Three antibiotics (valinomycin, gramicidin A, alamethicin) and one cyclic polyether (dibenzo-18-crown-6) which are potent membrane permeant agents and good uncouplers are demonstrated to inhibit such a nucleic acids synthesis. This inhibition is largely dependent on the ionic composition of the incubation medium. It is suggested on the basis of some preliminary results that these drugs, which are non-acidic molecules, should be further investigated for potential anti-inflammatory properties.