title: Examination of the effect of procalcitonin on human leucocytes and the porcine isolated coronary artery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of procalcitonin on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced changes in human leucocytes and porcine isolated coronary artery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using flow cytometry, changes in forward scatter and intracellular calcium in human neutrophils and monocytes were determined after exposure to procalcitonin, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), LPS, and the known chemoattractants formylated methionine-leucine-phenylalanine (fMLP) and interleukin-8 (IL-8). In porcine isolated coronary artery, the effects of procalcitonin were evaluated using the contractile function change and the release of TNFalpha.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In human neutrophils and monocytes, procalcitonin (100 nM), but not CGRP, increased forward scatter and the expression of surface markers (CD16 and CD14, respectively) in a similar manner to 10 microg ml(-1) LPS. Procalcitonin, but not CGRP, also increased the proportion of cells exhibiting an increase in intracellular calcium ions similar to that produced by fMLP and IL-8. Acute exposure of the coronary artery to procalcitonin produced a small, endothelium-independent relaxation (approximately 15% of constrictor tone), but failed to modify subsequent relaxations to CGRP. After 16 h exposure, procalcitonin (100 nM) increased TNFalpha release from the coronary artery equivalent to 70% of that produced by LPS, but did not modify the inhibitory effect of LPS (100 microg ml(-1)) on contractile responses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Procalcitonin has a proinflammatory effect on human leucocytes and porcine coronary artery, but it is not capable of modulating LPS-induced changes in vascular responsiveness in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2 UH, UK.
authors.forename: J X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verity
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garle
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D034421:Sus scrofa; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide