title: Effect of clarithromycin on lung inflammation and alveolar macrophage function in Klebsiella penumoniae B5055-induced acute lung infection in BALB/c mice.
abstract: Acute lung injuries due to acute lung infections remain the major cause of mortality. Thus antibiotics with immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities ,regardless of their antibacterial properties, will help to overcome acute lung infection-induced injuries. The macrolide antibiotics have been shown to possess these properties. Clarithromycin has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory properties in chronic inflammatory conditions. So we evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of clarithromycin treatment in Klebsiella pneumoniae B5055-induced acute lung infection in mice. The clarithromycin treatment significantly (p<0.05) decreased the bacterial load in the lungs of K. pneumoniae B5055-infected mice and significantly (p<0.05) increased macrophage activity. The clarithromycin treatment also significantly ( p<0.05) decreased the neutrophil infiltration into the lungs and decreased myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Clarithromycin significantly (p<0.05) decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) production and thus decreased acute lung injury occurring during acute lung infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India. Vij_tox@yahoo.com
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harjai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chhibber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D020556:Neutrophil Infiltration / Q000187:drug effects; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000187:drug effects; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D009195:Peroxidase; D017291:Clarithromycin