RESUMEN
2-Substituted-1,4,5,6-tetrahydrocyclopenta[b]pyrrole, a key structural moiety exiting in many bioactive molecules, has been shown to have excellent selective activity on COX-2. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory activity and the underlying molecular mechanism of 2-substituted-1,4,5,6-tetrahydrocyclopenta[b]pyrrole on skin inflammation were assessed by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced skin inflammation in mice. Most of the compounds showed anti-inflammatory activity on TPA-induced skin inflammation. The anti-inflammatory activity of compound 4 showed higher anti-inflammatory activity than celecoxib (3.2-fold). Compound 4 pretreatment resulted in markedly suppression of TPA-induced IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, and COX-2, respectively. Furthermore, the mechanical study indicated that the anti-inflammatory activity of compound 4 was associated with its ability to inhibit activation of factor kappa-κB (NF-κB) by blocking IκB kinase (IKK) activities. Accordingly, compound 4 could be used as a potential anti-inflammatory agent for skin inflammation.