Erythromycin inhibits Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced tumour necrosis factor-alpha production in human whole blood.
Erythromycin has been shown to be beneficial for panbronchiolitis, a disorder linked to infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Erythromycin, but not the anti-Pseudomonas antibiotics imipenem, ceftazidime, gentamicin and ciprofloxacin, caused a dose-dependent decrease in the production of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha by whole blood stimulated with heat-killed P. aeruginosa. The release of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-6, interferon-gamma and IL-8 was inhibited only at the highest erythromycin concentration. Inhibition of TNF-alpha production by erythromycin may, at least in part, explain the efficacy of this macrolide during panbronchiolitis despite its lack of activity for P. aeruginosa.
Schultz
M J
MJ
Laboratory of Experimental Internal Medicine, Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Tropical Medicine and AIDS, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.j.schultz@amc.uva.nl
Speelman
P
P
van der Poll
T
T
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D004917:Erythromycin