Effect of Ca-panthotenate on human granulocyte oxidative metabolism

Activated granulocytes play an important role in propagation of the inflammatory response by production of reactive oxygen species and release of their granule content. Hyperactivation of these cells is suggested to result in deterioration of wound healing and, probably, increase of cicatrization. Pantothenic acid and its stable salt form, Ca-Panthotenate, were shown to significantly improve surgical wound healing. Therefore, in the present study the modulating effect of Ca-pantothenic acid to subsequent stimulation with a variety of stimuli was investigated on isolated human PMN using functional assay systems: Lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence (CL), release of myeloperoxidase (MPO). Ca-Panthotenate significantly inhibited the CL response of PMN upon stimulation with the chemotactic petide f-met-leu-phe, the tumor promotor PMA, and the granulocyte activating cytokines GM-CSF and TNF alpha at a concentration range of 5 to 50 mM, but not upon stimulation with opsonized zymosan. Moreover, Ca-Panthotenate significantly inhibited the release of myeloperoxidase from PMN upon stimulation with f-met-leu-phe at a concentration of 5 mM. In contrast, Ca-Panthotenate did not directly activate PMN in the assay systems tested. These in vitro results support the concept of an anti-inflammatory action of Ca-Panthotenate in vivo.