A method for treating a disease state in mammals, characterized by abnormally low levels of inflammatory agents by up-regulating indigenous in vivo levels of an inflammatory agent comprising:a. contacting the mammalian cells with an inflammatory regulator, consisting of at least 2.8 mg pyruvate, or a pyruvate precursor or salt thereof, and wherein said inflammatory agents are selected from the group consisting of elastase, white blood cells, tumor necrosis factor and cytokines selected from the group consisting of interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-10, interleukin-17, and interleukin-23, and；c. wherein the disease state is selected a from the group consisting of pulmonary or upper respiratory diseases such as allergic rhinitis
