title: Suppressive activity of a macrolide antibiotic, roxithromycin, on pro-inflammatory cytokine production in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: This study was designed to examine the influence of a macrolide antibiotic, roxithromycin (RXM), on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-1beta and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. In the first experiments, we examined the effect of RXM on in vitro cytokine production from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human peripheral blood monocytes. The monocytes were cultured in the presence of various doses of the agent. After 24 h, the culture supernatants were obtained and assayed for IL-1beta and TNF-alpha contents by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RXM suppressed the in vitro production of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha in response to LPS stimulation. This was dose dependent and first noted at a concentration of as little as 0.05 microg/ml, which is much lower than therapeutic blood levels. In the second part of the experiments, we examined the influence of RXM on the appearance of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha in mouse lung extract induced by LPS inhalation. RXM was administered orally into BALB/c mice at a single dose of 2.5 mg/kg once a day for 5-12 weeks. These mice were then instilled with LPS into the trachea and examined for the presence of cytokines in aqueous lung extracts. Pretreatment of mice with RXM for 5 weeks did not influence of the appearance of both IL-1beta and TNF-alpha in aqueous lung extracts. However, pretreatment for more than 7 weeks dramatically suppressed the cytokine appearance in the extracts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizutani
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hisamitsu
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007322:Instillation, Drug; D007378:Interleukins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D015575:Roxithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014132:Trachea; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D007378:Interleukins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015575:Roxithromycin