[Lipoxins--new view on old mediators carrying potent anti-inflammatory action]

Lipoxins are the class of bioactive lipid mediators that carry potent anti-inflammatory signals. They are generated in humans during cell-cell interactions by one of at least three routes. Recently, aspirin was found to influence one of them and to trigger formation of 15-epir-lipoxins that may contribute to some of the beneficial action ascribed to aspirin. Lipoxins carry unique counter-regulatory actions that promote resolution of inflammation via multiple mechanisms, including inhibition of leukocyte recruitment and activation, cytokine and chemokine release and biosynthesis of pro-inflammatory lipid mediators. As lipoxins are likely to play physiologic role during homeostatic response, they may be also associated with number of inflammatory diseases. Thus, lipoxins and their stable analogues could provide novel therapeutic approach to the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Here, we present an overview of the recent knowledge about the biosynthesis and bioactions of these anti-inflammatory lipid mediators.