ANTIINFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF CROCONAZOLE, A BROAD-SPECTRUM ANTIMYCOTIC AGENT, IN THE ARACHIDONIC ACID-INDUCED MOUSE EAR SWELLING TEST

Investigations on croconazole, a novel imidazole compound, suggested antiphlogistic properties in vitro. Hence, its antiinflammatory capacity was tested in vivo using the arachidonic acid-induced mouse ear swelling test, which is a suitable model for screening inhibitors of the lipoxygenase and/or the cyclooxygenase. Topical application of croconazole (1%/0.01%) to the mouse ear induced a maximal inhibition of edema (inhibition: 39%/33%; p = 0.01) which was as strong as the reference nordihydroguaiaretic acid (inhibition: 38.9%; p = 0.01). These results justify further investigations on croconazole to study potential inhibitory effects on proinflammatory arachidonic acid metabolites.