As part of an effort to define the pharmacophore and discover the mech
anism by which the anti-inflammatory dual cyclooxygenase / 5-lipoxygen
ase inhibitors SK & F 86002 and SK & F 105809 inhibit IL-1 biosynthesi
s, a series of substituted 2,4,5-triarylimidazole derivatives were pre
pared and evaluated as inhibitors of IL-1 and 5-lipoxygenase biosynthe
sis.