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. 2022 Jan 28;23(3):1516. doi: 10.3390/ijms23031516

Table 1.

List of major agonists (exogenous and endogenous ligands) and antagonists of the AHR. The table also describes the major target organs and the diseases that are modulated by the AHR.

Source Examples Target Organ/Disease
Exogenous Halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons Lung cancer [28,73]
Dibenzofurans Lung toxicity not confirmed
Biphenyls Lung toxicity not confirmed
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Lung cancer [28,73], asthma [74], COPD [75], chronic bronchitis [76,77]
3-Methylcholanthrene No severe lung toxicity
Benzo[a]pyrene Lung inflammation [78,79], respiratory tract cancer [80]
Benzanthracenes No immediate severe lung toxicity
Benzoflavones Non-toxic
Dietary
Endogenous
Flavonoids BPD/ARDS [81,82,83]
Quercetin BPD [84]
Indole-3-carbinol COPD, asthma, ARDS, BPD
3,3′-Diindolylmethane Lung cancer chemoprevention [85]
Indolo[3,2-b]carbazole No pulmonary therapeutic application reported
Tryptophan metabolites Kynurenic acid ALI [86]
Kynurenine Lung cancer [87]
Tryptamine No pulmonary therapeutic application reported
6-Formylindolo[3,2-b]carbazole LPS-induced ALI [88]
Indoxyl sulfate No immediate severe lung toxicity
Microbiota 3-Methylindole May cause lung cancer [89]
Tryptanthrin Lung cancer [90]
1,4-Dihydroxy-2-naphthoic acid No pulmonary therapeutic application reported
Indole-3-aldehyde No immediate severe lung toxicity
Indole-3-acetate No pulmonary therapeutic application reported
Phenazines No pulmonary therapeutic application reported
Indirubin Lung cancer [91], anti-inflammatory [92]
Malassezin No pulmonary therapeutic application reported
Xenobiotic 3,4-Dimethoxy-a-naphthoflavone Lung cancer [93]
MNF Lung cancer, COPD, asthma [94]
CH-223191 Lung cancer, COPD, asthma [74]
Dietary Resveratrol Lung cancer, asthma COPD [95]
AHR Active Pharmaceuticals Tranilast COPD, Asthma [85]
Leflunomide BPD, ARDS [85]
Omeprazole BPD, ARDS [85,96,97,98]