Cetyl Myristoleate (CMO)

Synthesis of cetyl myristoleate and evaluation of its therapeutic efficacy in a murine model of collagen-induced arthritis.
Hunter KW Jr, Gault RA, Stehouwer JS, Tam-Chang SW.
Pharmacol Res. 2003 Jan;47(1):43-7.

 Cetyl myristoleate (CM) was reported by Diehl and May [J Pharm Sci 83 (1994) 296] to block inflammation and prevent adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. To verify this earlier work, we have synthesized pure CM and tested its anti-arthritic properties in a collagen-induced arthritis model in DBA/1LacJ mice. Multiple intraperitoneal injections of CM in 450 and 900 mg kg(-1) doses resulted in a significantly lower incidence of disease and caused a modest but significant diminution in clinical signs in those mice that developed arthritis. CM administered in daily oral doses of 20 mg kg(-1) also reduced the incidence of arthritis and caused a small reduction in the clinical signs in mice that developed arthritis. Although the protective effect of CM in collagen-induced arthritis observed in the present study was less dramatic than that reported earlier, our results confirm the anti-arthritic properties of pure CM. PMID: 12526860

  Cetyl myristoleate isolated from Swiss albino mice: an apparent protective agent against adjuvant arthritis in rats.
Diehl HW, May EL.
J Pharm Sci. 1994 Mar;83(3):296-9.

 Cetyl myristoleate was isolated from National Institutes of Health, general purpose, Swiss albino mice that were immune to the polyarthritis induced in rats with Freund’s adjuvant. This substance, or material synthesized from cetyl alcohol and myristoleic acid, afforded good protection against adjuvant-induced arthritic states in rats. In limited comparisons, cetyl oleate, also found in Swiss albino mice, gave lesser protection, whereas cetyl myristate and cetyl elaidate, the trans-isomer of cetyl oleate, appeared to be virtually ineffective. Dosage of the protective compound as well as the site of injection of Freund’s adjuvant was important. PMID: 8207671