Dexamethasone is an anti-inflammatory agent that is FDA approved for the treatment of many conditions, including rheumatic problems, a number of skin diseases, severe allergies, asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, croup, brain swelling and others. Dexamethasone is a glucocorticoid agonist. Unbound dexamethasone crosses cell membranes and binds with high affinity to specific cytoplasmic glucocorticoid receptors. Adverse reactions are: Glaucoma with optic nerve damage, visual acuity and field defects; cataract formation; secondary ocular infection following suppression of host response; and perforation of the globe may occur; muscle weakness; osteoporosis and others. Aminoglutethimide may diminish adrenal suppression by corticosteroids. Macrolide antibiotics have been reported to cause a significant decrease in corticosteroid clearance.

Diclorphenamide, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, was initially developed for the treatment of glaucome, however, now it is used for patients suffering from primary hypokalemic and hyperkalemic periodic paralysis. The exact mechanism of diclorphenamide in periodic paralysis is unknown.

Amphotericin B used to treat progressive, potentially life-threatening fungal infections, such as oral thrush, vaginal candidiasis and esophageal candidiasis in patients with normal neutrophil counts. Also, Amphotericin B is often used in otherwise-untreatable protozoan infections such as visceral leishmaniasis and primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. As with other polyene antifungals, amphotericin B binds with ergosterol, a component of fungal cell membranes, forming a transmembrane channel that leads to monovalent ion (K+, Na+, H+ and Cl−) leakage, which is the primary effect leading to fungal cell death. When administered concurrently, the following drugs may interact with amphotericin B: Antineoplastic agents, Corticosteroids and Corticotropin (ACTH); Digitalis glycosides; Flucytosine; Imidazoles (e.g., ketoconazole, miconazole, clotrimazole, fluconazole, etc.); Zidovudine; Skeletal muscle relaxants (tubocurarine); Rifabutin; Leukocyte transfusions. The adverse reactions most commonly observed are: fever; malaise; weight loss; hypotension; tachypnea; anorexia; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; dyspepsia; cramping epigastric pain; normochromic, normocytic anemia; pain at the injection site with or without phlebitis or thrombophlebitis; generalized pain, including muscle and joint pains; headache; decreased renal function and renal function abnormalities.

Triamcinolone acetonide is a synthetic corticosteroid used to treat various skin conditions, and to relieve the discomfort of mouth sores. In nasal spray form, it is used to treat allergic rhinitis. It is a more potent derivative of triamcinolone, and is about eight times as potent as prednisone. TRIESENCE™ is a synthetic corticosteroid indicated for: sympathetic ophthalmia, temporal arteritis, uveitis, and ocular inflammatory conditions unresponsive to topical corticosteroids. Triamcinolone acetonide is a synthetic fluorinated corticosteroid with approximately 8 times the potency of prednisone in animal models of inflammation. Although the precise mechanism of corticosteroid antiallergic action is unknown, corticosteroids have been shown to have a wide range of actions on multiple cell types (e.g., mast cells, eosinophils, neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes) and mediators (e.g., histamine, eicosanoids, leukotrienes, cytokines) involved in inflammation.

L-arginine is a nonessential amino acid that may play an important role in the treatment of cardiovascular disease due to its antiatherogenic, anti-ischemic, antiplatelet, and antithrombotic properties. It has been promoted as a growth stimulant and as a treatment for erectile dysfunction in men. L-arginine is a nonessential amino acid that may play an important role in the treatment of heart disease due to its block arterial plaque buildup, blood clots, platelet clumping, and to increase blood flow through the coronary artery. L-arginine is commonly sold as a health supplement claiming to improve vascular health and treat erectile dysfunction in men. L-arginine, which is promoted as a human growth stimulant, has also been used in bodybuilding. In the 1800s, it was first isolated from animal horn.

Methylprednisolone is a prednisolone derivative with similar anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive action. It is adjunctive therapy for short-term administration in rheumatoid arthritis. It is indicated in the following conditions: endocrine disorders, rheumatic disorders, collagen diseases, allergic states etc. Methylprednisolone is marketed in the USA and Canada under the brand names Medrol and Solu-Medrol. Methylprednisolone is a GR receptor agonist.

Mecamylamine (Inversine), the first orally available antihypertensive agent, is now rarely used. Introduced as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of hypertension in the 1950s, mecamylamine was the first useful ganglionic blocking agent that was not a quarternary ammonium compound. Mecamylamine is indicated for the management of moderately severe to severe essential hypertension and in uncomplicated cases of malignant hypertension. Mecamylamine reduces blood pressure in both normotensive and hypertensive individuals. A small oral dosage often produces a smooth and predictable reduction of blood pressure. Although this antihypertensive effect is predominantly orthostatic, the supine blood pressure is also significantly reduced. Mecamylamine is a nicotinic parasympathetic ganglionic blocker. Mecamylamine administration produces several deleterious side-effects at therapeutically relevant doses. As such, mecamylamine’s use as an antihypertensive agent was phased out, except in severe hypertension. Mecamylamine easily traverses the blood-brain barrier to reach the central nervous system (CNS), where it acts as a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist, inhibiting all known nAChR subtypes. Since nAChRs play a major role in numerous physiological and pathological processes, it is not surprising that mecamylamine has been evaluated for its potential therapeutic effects in a wide variety of CNS disorders, including addiction.

Liothyronine (CYTOMEL®) is a T3 thyroid hormone normally synthesized and secreted by the thyroid gland in much smaller quantities than its prohormone thyroxine (T4). Most T3 is derived from peripheral monodeiodination of T4 at the 5' position of the outer ring of the iodothyronine nucleus. The hormone finally delivered and used by the tissues is mainly T3. The mechanisms by which thyroid hormones exert their physiologic action are not well understood. These hormones enhance oxygen consumption by most tissues of the body, increase the basal metabolic rate and the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. Thus, they exert a profound influence on every organ system in the body and are of particular importance in the development of the central nervous system. Thyroid hormone drugs are indicated: as the replacement or supplemental therapy in patients with hypothyroidism of any etiology; as pituitary thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) suppressants, in the treatment or prevention of various types of euthyroid goiters; as diagnostic agents in suppression tests to differentiate suspected mild hyperthyroidism or thyroid gland autonomy.

Hydroxychloroquine possesses antimalarial properties and also exerts a beneficial effect in lupus erythematosus (chronic discoid or systemic) and acute or chronic rheumatoid arthritis. Although the exact mechanism of action is unknown, it may be based on ability of hydroxychloroquine to bind to and alter DNA. Hydroxychloroquine has also has been found to be taken up into the acidic food vacuoles of the parasite in the erythrocyte. This increases the pH of the acid vesicles, interfering with vesicle functions and possibly inhibiting phospholipid metabolism. In suppressive treatment, hydroxychloroquine inhibits the erythrocytic stage of development of plasmodia. In acute attacks of malaria, it interrupts erythrocytic schizogony of the parasite. Its ability to concentrate in parasitized erythrocytes may account for their selective toxicity against the erythrocytic stages of plasmodial infection. As an antirheumatic, hydroxychloroquine is thought to act as a mild immunosuppressant, inhibiting the production of rheumatoid factor and acute phase reactants. It also accumulates in white blood cells, stabilizing lysosomal membranes and inhibiting the activity of many enzymes, including collagenase and the proteases that cause cartilage breakdown. Hydroxychloroquine is used for the suppressive treatment and treatment of acute attacks of malaria due to Plasmodium vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale, and susceptible strains of P. falciparum. It is also indicated for the treatment of discoid and systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Dapsone was synthesized in 1908 by Fromm and Wittmann. The drug was approved by FDA for the treatment of such conditions as acne vulgaris, leprosy and dermatitis herpetiformis, also the drug is used off-label for many skin diseases. Although the exact mechanism of dapsone action is unknown, it is speculated that it acts as both anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent. It was demonstrated that dapsone suppresses ROS generation, inhibits neutrophil myeloperoxidase and eosinophil peroxidase and also inhibits bacterial dihydropteroate synthase.