title: Effect of macrolide antibiotics on macrophage functions.
abstract: Macrolide antibiotics have a variety of actions other than antimicrobial activities. Recently, it has been suggested that macrolide antibiotics act as immunomodulators. In this study, we evaluated the effects of macrolide antibiotics on macrophage functions. For the macrophage, we used the mouse macrophage cell line J774.1. The following effects of macrolide antibiotics on macrophage functions were evaluated: the effect of macrolide antibiotics on macrophage growth; the phagocytosis of beads; cytocidal activity against Candida albicans; and chemotaxis to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Macrolide antibiotics except for azithromycin significantly stimulated the growth of the macrophage. In addition, pretreatment with macrolide antibiotics except for roxithromycin significantly stimulated the macrophage phagocytosis of beads, macrophage chemotaxis to LPS, and macrophage cytocidal activity against Candida albicans. These results suggest that macrolide antibiotics stimulate macrophage functions.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Kagawa Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Negayama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yuube
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hojo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaji
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawanishi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Takahara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002460:Cell Line; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015575:Roxithromycin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015575:Roxithromycin; D004917:Erythromycin; D017963:Azithromycin; D017291:Clarithromycin