At the present time for the treatment of acute viral hepatitis, aggravation of chronic hepatitis and hepatocirrhosis synthetic glucocorticoidal hormonal preparations such as prednisolone and the like are most widely administered. These preparations are employed, as a rule, over long periods and cause a great number of complications on the part of various organs and systems. Glucocorticoids bring about atrophy of the cortical layer of adrenal glands, increased arterial pressure, development of steroid diabets, obesity, retention of urine, electrolytical disturbances, osteoporosis phenomena, pahological bone fractures. In the gastro-intestinal tract glucocorticoids frequently cause the formation of ulcers complicated with hemorrhages which provides an especially detrimental effect on the progress of chronic liver diseases. An abrupt cancellation of glucocorticoids results in the development of an acute adrenal insufficiency. Remissions in the treatment with preparations of this class are instable and of short duration. (cf. Scott J., Physiological pharmacological and pathological effects of glucocorticoids on the digestive system, Clin. gastroenterol.m 1981, v. 10, p. 627-652).
Known in the art are hexapeptides of a different structure, for example hexapeptide His-D-Trp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH.sub.2 (Bowers Cy et al., Endocrinology, 1984, v. 114, No. 5, p. 1537-1545) or hexapeptide Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-Phe-Leu-Arg and the like (cf. A. V. Waldman, O. S. Medvedev. Theoretical Prerequisits for Finding New Cardio-Vascular Agents Among Peptides, "Vestnik Akademii Meditsinskikh Nauk SSSR", 1982, No. 5, p. 14-22).
However, the hepatoprotective activity of such compounds is hitherto unknown in the art.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds