Abstract: Disclosed herein are an imidazole derivative represented by the following general formula (1): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom, or an alkyl, alkoxy or alkoxycarbonyl group, and R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are the same or different from one another and are independently a hydrogen or halogen atom, an alkyl, halogenoalkyl, hydroxyl or alkoxy group, or the like, or a salt thereof, and a medicine comprising such a compound. The compound specifically suppresses the production of particular cytokine and is hence useful as an active ingredient for immune function modulators and the like.

Abstract: Described is a pyridine derivative represented by the following formula (1): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 individually represent H, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a hydroxyalkyl group, an alkoxyalkyl group which may have a substituent, a carboxyalkyl group, an alkoxycarbonylalkyl group, an aralkyl group which may have a substituent, a phenacyl group or an acyl group, R.sup.3 represents an alkyl group, a phenyl group which may have a substituent, a heteroaryl group or a cyclic amino group, X represents O or combination of OH and H, or a salt thereof; and a medicament, such as cytokine production suppressant, comprising the derivative or salt thereof as an effective ingredient. The invention compound has potential, highly specific and highly safe immunoregulating capacity so that it can suppress the excessive production of a specific cytokine in various diseases related to the immune system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a substituted vinylpyridine derivative represented by the following formula (1): ##STR1## (wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, etc., R.sup.2 represents an alkyl group; one of R.sup.3 and R.sup.4, which are different from each other, represents a hydrogen atom and the other represents a nitrile group, R.sup.5 represents an aryl group or a heteroaryl group, X represents an oxygen atom, etc., and one of Q.sup.1, Q.sup.2, and Q.sup.3 represents a nitrogen atom and the other two represent CH); a salt of the derivative; and a drug containing the derivative or salt as the active ingredient. Due to strong PDE inhibitory action and TNF-.alpha. production inhibitory action, the derivative, salt, and drug are useful for the prevention and treatment of a wide variety of inflammatory diseases and autoimmune diseases.