title: Erdosteine affects eicosanoid production in COPD.
abstract: Oxidant-antioxidant imbalance and lipid peroxidation are known to activate the 5-LO pathway with increased expression of inflammatory eicosanoids. Erdosteine has recently shown important anti-oxidant properties, including the ability to reduce 8-isoprostane in COPD patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effects of erdosteine (E) on eicosanoids, and to compare the time-course of effect with that of E anti-oxidant activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  12 moderate COPD patients (9 males, 60 - 78 y) randomly received E 300 mg b.i.d. or placebo (P) for 10 days in a double-blind, controlled design. Blood ROS (Fort/Units); serum LTB4 and urine LTE4 (pg/ml) were measured at baseline and after 1, 3, 5 and 10 days of treatment. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In COPD patients, both LTB4 and LTE4 dropped significantly during the 10-day treatment with E: s-LTB4 from 136.0 ± 35.4 SD to 54.5 ± 31.2 SD; u-LTE4 from 267.0 ± 91.5 SD to 84.0 ± 64.7 SD, p < 0.001 vs. p from Days 5 and 3, respectively. Moreover, a significant decrease of blood ROS was confirmed in patients using E. FEV1 values slightly increased during erdosteine treatment, whereas a trend to decrease was observed in the placebo group, with a significant difference in favor of erdosteine after 10 days of treatment (p = 0.0088).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1) The scavenging and anti-inflammatory effects of Erdosteine were both confirmed; 2) erdosteine proved to affect eicosanoids significantly; 3) this novel effect underlines the important anti-inflammatory potentialities of the drug in COPD; 4) further investigation is needed in order to assess the capability of Erdosteine in controlling ongoing inflammation in chronic respiratory diseases.
authors.affiliation: Lung Department, Orlandi General Hospital, Bussolengo, Verona, Italy. rdalnegro@ulss22.ven.it
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Dal Negro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Visconti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tognella
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Micheletto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015777:Eicosanoids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007975:Leukotriene B4 / Q000097:blood; D017999:Leukotriene E4 / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000378:metabolism*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013864:Thioglycolates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015777:Eicosanoids; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013864:Thioglycolates; D013876:Thiophenes; D007975:Leukotriene B4; D017999:Leukotriene E4; C048498:erdosteine