Treatment of inflammation using alpha 7 receptor-binding agonists

1 - 55 . (canceled) 
     
     
         56 . A method of treating an inflammatory condition comprising administering to a patient in need thereof a cholinergic agonist selective for an α7 nicotinic receptor in an amount sufficient to decrease the amount of a proinflammatory cytokine that is released from a macrophage, wherein said inflammatory condition is selected from the group consisting of appendicitis, peptic, gastric or duodenal ulcers, ulcerative cholitis, peritonitis, pancreatitis, acute or ischemic colitis, diverticulitis, epiglottis, achalasia, cholangitis, cholecystitis, hepatitis, Crohn's disease, enteritis, Whipple's disease, asthma, allergy, anaphylactic shock, immune complex disease, organ ischemia, reperfusion injury, organ necrosis, hay fever, sepsis, septicemia, endotoxic shock, cachexia, hyperpyrexia, eosinophilic granuloma, granulomatosis, sarcoidosis, septic abortion, epididymitis, vaginitis, prostatitis, urethritis, bronchitis, emphysema, rhinitis, cystic fibrosis, pneumonitis, pneumoultramicroscopic silicovolcanoconiosis, alvealitis, bronchiolitis, pharyngitis, pleurisy, sinusitis, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, herpes, HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, disseminated bacteremia, Dengue fever, candidiasis, malaria, filariasis, amebiasis, hydatid cysts, burns, dermatitis, dermatomyositis, sunburn, urticaria, warts, wheals, vasulitis, angiitis, endocarditis, arteritis, artherosclerosis, thrombophlebitis, pericarditis, myocarditis, myocardial ischemia, periarteritis nodosa, rheumatic fever, Alzheimer's disease, coeliac disease, congestive heart failure, adult respiratory distress syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, meningitis, encephalitis, multiple sclerosis, cerebral infarction, cerebral embolism, Guillame-Barre syndrome, neuritis, neuralgia, spinal cord injury, paralysis, uveitis, arthritides, arthralgias, osteomyelitis, fasciitis, Paget's disease, gout, periodontal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, synovitis, myasthenia gravis, thyroiditis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Goodpasture's syndrome, Behcet's syndrome, allograft rejection, graft-versus-host disease, Type I diabetes, Type II diabetes, ankylosing spondylitis, Berger's disease, Retier's syndrome, and Hodgkins disease. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein the condition is selected from: hepatitis, hay fever, sarcoidosis, bronchitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, and atherosclerosis. 
     
     
         58 . A method of treating an inflammatory condition comprising administering to a patient in need thereof a cholinergic agonist selective for an α7 nicotinic receptor in an amount sufficient to decrease the inflammatory cytokine cascade. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein said cascade causes either a systemic reaction or is mediated by a localized inflammatory cytokine cascade. 
     
     
         60 . A method of treating an inflammatory condition comprising administering to a patient in need thereof a cholinergic agonist selective for an α7 nicotinic receptor in an amount sufficient to decrease the amount of a proinflammatory cytokine that is released from a macrophage, wherein said inflammatory condition is a dermatological disease or condition of the skin.