Description
Prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid/glucocorticoid that exhibits no biological activity until converted to its active metabolite, prednisolone. Once converted, this compound exhibits anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, anti-allergic, neuroprotective, and anticancer chemotherapeutic activities. Prednisone is one component of the CHOP chemotherapeutic cocktail that is clinically used to treat leukemias and lymphomas; in animal models of subarachnoid hemorrhage, CHOP inhibits neuronal apoptosis. Prednisone also inhibits expression of IL-6 and is clinically used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.