Dexaltin Mechanism of Action

Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics: Dexamethasone is a synthetic adrenocortical steroid and exerts anti-inflammatory effects by the same mechanism of action as naturally occurring glucocorticoids, but the mineralocorticoid action of dexamethasone is weaker than those of naturally occurring glucocorticoids.
Clinical Application: The results of clinical trials of Dexaltin Oral Paste including double-blind controlled trials on a total of 49 patients mostly with radiation stomatitis at 8 medical institutions in Japan are given in summary form as follows. (See Tables 1, 2 and 3.)

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Pharmacokinetics: Dexamethasone is readily absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract. Its biological half-life in plasma is about 190 minutes. Binding of dexamethasone to plasma proteins is about 77%, which is less than for most other corticosteroids. Up to 65% of a dose is excreted in urine within 24 hours. Clearance in premature neonates is reported to be proportional to gestational age, with a reduced elimination rate in the most premature. It readily crosses the placenta with minimal inactivation.