This invention discloses isolated short peptides comprising the amino acid sequence Cys-Glu-Phe-His (CEFH SEQ ID NOS: 1 and 15) and analogs thereof as well as compositions comprising CEFH peptides and analogs thereof. The CEFH peptides disclosed herein are effective in mediating the denitration of 3-nitrotyrosines (3-NT) in cellular proteins thereby preventing tissue damage associated with excess nitric oxide (NO) and its reactive species. The CEFH peptides disclosed herein are useful in the treatment of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury of various tissues (e.g., I/R injury of heart muscle associated with heart attack or cardiac surgery, I/R injury of brain tissue associated with stroke, I/R injury of liver tissue, skeletal muscles, etc.), septic shock, anaphylactic shock, neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases), neuronal injury, atherosclerosis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune uveitis, pulmonary fibrosis, oobliterative bronchiolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), sepsis, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, allograft rejection, autoimmune myocarditis, myocardial inflammation, pulmonary granulomatous inflammation, influenza- or HSV-induced pneumonia, chronic cerebral vasospasm, allergic encephalomyelitis, central nervous system (CNS) inflammation, Heliobacterium pylori gastritis, necrotizing entrerocolitis, celliac disease, peritonitis, early prosthesis failure, inclusion body myositis, preeclamptic pregnancies, skin lesions with anaphylactoid purpura, nephrosclerosis, ileitis, leishmaniasis, cancer, and related disorders.
