Pharmacologic activities of copper compounds in chronic diseases.

Copper complexes have been shown to be effective antiinflammatory, antiulcer, anticonvulsant, anticancer, and antidiabetic agents. This seemingly diverse variety of pharmacologic effects is unified by the hypothesis that copper complexes facilitate or promote tissue repair processes involving copper-dependent enzymes and that arthritis, ulcers, seizures, neoplasia, and diabetes are diseases of specific tissues in disrepair. The corollary to this hypothesis is that the loss or reduction of copper-dependent enzyme-mediated processes leads to tissue dysfunction that may be reversed with copper complex therapy.