Eflornithine hydrochloride is a specific, irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase.
When cultured cells are treated with α-difluoromethyl-Orn, an inhibitor of polyamine biosynthesis, production of hydrogen peroxide is suppressed and programmed cell death did not occur[1].
Eflornithine is the only new molecule registered for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis over the last 50 years. It is the drug used mainly as a back-up for melarsoprol refractory Trypanosoma brucei gambiense cases[2]. Eflornithine 15% cream is superior to a placebo in reducing hair growth in subjects with excessive, unwanted facial hair. After 24 weeks' treatment, 58% of eflornithine and 34% of placebo subjects have at least some improvement in facial hirsutism[3]. The hair growth inhibitory activity of eflornithine is significantly enhanced when the eflornithine cream is applied onto a mouse skin area pretreated with microneedles[4]. Treatment of coarctation hypertensive rats with eflornithine results in a normalization of the contractile intensity to KCI and norepinephrine and relaxations to acetylcholine by 14 days of hypertension[5].
BY2 cells are treated with or without cryptogein in the presence or absence of DFMO(Difluoromethylornithine) and monitered the effect of chemicals on cell growth. (Only for Reference)