Enhancement of B cell and monocyte populations in rats exposed to chlorpheniramine

Chlorpheniramine is an anti-histamine agent on IgE-mediated inflammation. In order to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of chlorpheniramine, we assessed the changes of peripheral mononuclear cell populations and other general clinical parameters, including hematology and clinical chemistry, following chlorpheniramine administration in rats. Since prednisolone is commonly co-prescribed with anti-histamine in many hypersensitive reactions, we also examined the changes to compare the results after the prednisolone administration. Chlorpheniramine (50, 100 and 200 μg/kg) and prednisolone (1, 2 and 4 mg/kg) were intramuscularly administered to female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats 3 times, at intervals of 1 week. Except the clinical signs, such as stiffness and abnormal gait due to the local toxicity at injection sites, no other significant changes in body weights, urinalysis, and macroscopic examination were noted in the animals given chlorpheniramine. On the other hand, white blood cells, especially B cells and monocytes, showed a dose-dependent increase in the chlorpheniramine-treated animals; whereas, the numbers of both B and T cells (helper T and cytotoxic T, NKT cells) were decreased in the prednisolone-treated animals. Taken together, these results suggest that chloropheniramine administration enhances white blood cells in the peripheral blood, mostly due to increases of the B cells and monocytes, but no T cells and NK cells.