title: Cimetidine reduces cyclosporine inhibition of interleukin-2 production.
abstract: Cimetidine has been shown to up-regulate proliferative and cytotoxic immune responses, which are mediated in part by an increase in interleukin-2 (IL-2) production. Cyclosporine achieves its immunosuppressive effect mainly through inhibition of IL-2 production. A recent clinical report of renal allograft recipients with elevated serum creatinine levels while on a histamine type-2 receptor antagonist raised concern whether the cimetidine increase in IL-2 production was counterbalancing the cyclosporine inhibition of IL-2 and thereby increasing alloreactivity to the transplant. We therefore measured IL-2 production of mitogen-stimulated murine spleen cells with or without cimetidine and cyclosporine and in combination of these two drugs. Cimetidine (10(-4) and 10(-5) M) completely reversed the cyclosporine (0.1 ng/ml and 1 ng/ml)-induced 25 and 41% inhibitions of IL-2, respectively. Cyclosporine (10 ng/ml) reduced IL-2 by 64% and cimetidine partially reversed this inhibition to 48%. All cimetidine groups which reduced the cyclosporine effect on IL-2 were statistically significant (P less than 0.05). These data raise concern about the safety of giving histamine type-2 receptor antagonists to allograft recipients without increasing alloreactivity due to a relative increase in IL-2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey 17033.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Gifford
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Tilberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002927:Cimetidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003524:Cyclosporins; D007376:Interleukin-2; D003208:Concanavalin A; D002927:Cimetidine