Leflunomide is an agonist of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) [1].?As an immunoregulatory agent, Leflunomide can be administrated orally. A771726 (teriflunomide) is an active drug formed non-enzymatically from leflunomide [2].
Leflunomide has been demonstrated to expand Tregs levels in peripheral blood?and stem cells subsets as well as to increase the migration of these cells?into the injured kidney. ?Leflunomide has been displayed to increase cells expressed IL-10 and reduce cells expressed IL-17- and IL-23 in ischemic-reperfused kidney [1].
Leflunomide has shown to significantly lower the lipid peroxidation in male Wistar albino rats of sepsis. Meanwhile, leflunomide successfully inhibited the protein carbonyl rise and NO rise?in bowel [2]. Leflunomide has shown to reduce cell proliferation, inhibit?tumor marker expression, as well as down-regulate neuroendocrine marker ASCL1 protein expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner in human MTC-TT cells [3].
References:
[1] Baban B1,?Liu JY,?Mozaffari MS. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist, leflunomide, protects the ischemic-reperfused kidney: role of Tregs and stem cells. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol.?2012 Dec;303(11):R1136-46.
[2] Ozturk E1,?Surucu M2,?Karaman A3,?Samdanc? E4,?Fadillioglu E5. Protective effect of leflunomide?against?oxidative intestinal injury in a rodent model of sepsis. J Surg Res.?2014 Apr;187(2):610-5.
[3] Alhefdhi A1,?Burke JF,?Redlich A,?Kunnimalaiyaan M,?Chen H. Leflunomide?suppresses growth in human medullary thyroid cancer cells. J Surg Res.?2013 Nov;185(1):212-6.
