title: Effect of drugs used in the treatment of asthma on the production of eosinophil-activating factor by monocytes.
abstract: The cytotoxic activity of eosinophils, as measured by their ability to kill antibody-coated schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni, is enhanced by a factor (eosinophil-activating factor, EAF) which is secreted by peripheral blood monocytes from certain moderately eosinophilic individuals. The secretion of this factor by monocytes is inhibited by methylprednisolone (1 microgram/ml), beclomethasone (10 micrograms/ml) and theophylline (100 micrograms/ml), but not by sodium cromoglycate or salbutamol. Methylprednisolone, beclomethasone and theophylline do not inhibit either eosinophil cytotoxic activity or enhancement of eosinophil cytotoxic activity by EAF at these concentrations.
mesh_terms: D000420:Albuterol / Q000494:pharmacology; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001507:Beclomethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004205:Cromolyn Sodium / Q000494:pharmacology; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D013806:Theophylline / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D008222:Lymphokines; C022227:eosinophil stimulating promoter; D013806:Theophylline; D001507:Beclomethasone; D004205:Cromolyn Sodium; D000420:Albuterol; D008775:Methylprednisolone