title: Effect of fluticasone propionate on neutrophil chemotaxis, superoxide generation, and extracellular proteolytic activity in vitro.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Corticosteroids are widely used in the treatment of many inflammatory conditions but the exact mode of action on neutrophil function is uncertain. Fluticasone propionate is a new topically active synthetic steroid which can be measured in body fluids and which undergoes first pass metabolism.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effects of fluticasone propionate on the function of neutrophils isolated from normal, healthy control subjects and on the chemotactic activity of sputum sol phase were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preincubation of neutrophils with fluticasone propionate reduced the chemotactic response to 10(-8) mol/l F-Met-Leu-Phe (FMLP) and to a 1:5 dilution of sputum sol phase in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, when fluticasone propionate was added to sputum from eight patients with stable chronic obstructive bronchitis the chemotactic activity of a 1:5 dilution of the sol phase fell from a mean (SE) value of 22.2 (1.21) cells/field to 19.6 (0.89), 17.1 (0.74), and 11.9 (0.6) cells field at 1 mumol/l, 10 mumol/l, and 100 mumol/l, respectively. In further experiments fluticasone propionate preincubated with neutrophils inhibited fibronectin degradation by resting cells and by cells stimulated by FMLP (15.2% inhibition of resting cells, 5.1% inhibition of stimulated cells with 1 mumol/l fluticasone propionate, 24% and 18.7% inhibition respectively at 100 mumol/l fluticasone propionate. Fluticasone propionate had no effect on generation of superoxide anion by resting or stimulated cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that fluticasone propionate has a direct suppressive effect on several aspects of neutrophil function and may suggest a role for this agent in the modulation of neutrophil mediated damage to connective tissue.
authors.affiliation: Lung Immunobiochemical Research Laboratory, General Hospital, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Llewellyn-Jones
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Stockley
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000730:Androstadienes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D000068298:Fluticasone; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000378:metabolism; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013183:Sputum; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000730:Androstadienes; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005353:Fibronectins; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D013481:Superoxides; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine; C042205:methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine; D000068298:Fluticasone