Nedocromil sodium is a

medication A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and re ...

considered as mast cell stabilizer which acts to prevent wheezing, shortness of breath, and other breathing problems caused by

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...

. It is administered by an

inhaler An inhaler (also known as a puffer, pump or allergy spray) is a medical device used for delivering medicines into the lungs through the work of a person's breathing. This allows medicines to be delivered to and absorbed in the lungs, which prov ...

under the brand name Tilade, and as an

eye drop Eye drops or eyedrops are liquid drops applied directly to the surface of the eye usually in small amounts such as a single drop or a few drops. Eye drops usually contain saline to match the salinity of the eye. Drops containing only saline ...

under the brand name Alocril. The effects of nedocromil versus asthma are gradual rather than fast-acting and it is not indicated for acute respiratory distress compared to fast acting bronchodilators like

albuterol Salbutamol, also known as albuterol and sold under the brand name Ventolin among others, is a medication that opens up the medium and large airways in the lungs. It is a short-acting β2 adrenergic receptor agonist which works by causing rel ...

or other well-known

medications. Liquid preparations of nedocromil are available in the UK under the name Rapitil for use for allergic eye reactions. Nedocromil sodium has been shown to be effective in alleviating symptoms of

allergic conjunctivitis Allergic conjunctivitis (AC) is inflammation of the conjunctiva (the membrane covering the white part of the eye) due to allergy. Although allergens differ among patients, the most common cause is hay fever. Symptoms consist of redness (mainly due ...

. Nedocromil is classified as a

benzopyrone Benzopyrone may refer to either of two ketone derivatives of benzopyran which constitute the core skeleton of many flavonoid compounds: *Chromone (1-benzopyran-4-one) * Coumarin (1-benzopyran-2-one) Certain simple benzopyrones have clinical medica ...

. Nedocromil acts as a

mast cell stabilizer Mast cell stabilizers are medications used to prevent or control certain allergic disorders. They block mast cell degranulation, stabilizing the cell and thereby preventing the release of histamine and related mediators. One suspected pharmaco ...

, inhibits the degranulation of

mast cell A mast cell (also known as a mastocyte or a labrocyte) is a resident cell of connective tissue that contains many granules rich in histamine and heparin. Specifically, it is a type of granulocyte derived from the myeloid stem cell that is a par ...

s, prevents release of

histamine Histamine is an organic nitrogenous compound involved in local immune responses, as well as regulating physiological functions in the gut and acting as a neurotransmitter for the brain, spinal cord, and uterus. Since histamine was discovered ...

and

tryptase Tryptase (, ) is the most abundant secretory granule-derived serine proteinase contained in mast cells and has been used as a marker for mast cell activation. Club cells contain tryptase, which is believed to be responsible for cleaving the hemag ...

, so preventing the synthesis of

prostaglandin The prostaglandins (PG) are a group of physiologically active lipid compounds called eicosanoids having diverse hormone-like effects in animals. Prostaglandins have been found in almost every tissue in humans and other animals. They are derive ...

s and

leukotriene Leukotrienes are a family of eicosanoid inflammatory mediators produced in leukocytes by the oxidation of arachidonic acid (AA) and the essential fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) by the enzyme arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase. Leukotrienes ...

s. US Production of inhaled nedocromil ceased in April 2008 because it used

CFCs Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are fully or partly halogenated hydrocarbons that contain carbon (C), hydrogen (H), chlorine (Cl), and fluorine (F), produced as volatile derivatives of methane, ethane, and propan ...

as propellant.

References

Mast cell stabilizers Ophthalmology drugs Dicarboxylic acids Nitrogen heterocycles Oxygen heterocycles Heterocyclic compounds with 3 rings Diketones {{respiratory-system-drug-stub