Vasoregulin, a glucocorticoid-inducible vascular permeability inhibitory protein

A vascular permeability inhibitory protein 'Vasoregulin' was induced by dexamethasone and other glucocorticoids in Namalva cells. Precipitates produced by trichloroacetic acid from cultured supernatant (crude released vasoregulin) suppressed serotonin-induced paw edema of mice (ID30 = 750 micrograms/mouse) when dosed 30 min. before serotonin. Carrageenan paw edema of rats was also suppressed (ID30 = 9 mg/rat, s.c. and i.p., not by oral dosing) when the compound was injected at the same time as carrageenan and the edema determined after 3 hrs. The possible effect of glucocorticoid itself being contained in the vasoregulin preparation was excluded. The presence of Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD), spermidine and spermine also gave good yields of vasoregulin in culture; SOD protected the inactivation of vasoregulin from superoxide radical in vitro. Vasoregulin partially purified by Sephadex G-75 columns had no malonaldehyde-formation inhibitory capacity. Thus, vasoregulin is a glucocorticoid-inducible anti-inflammatory protein which differs from lipocortin.