Inhibition of eosinophil chemotaxis by a new antiallergic compound (cetirizine)

The in vivo inhibitory effect of a new antiallergic, anti-H1 drug, cetirizine, on eosinophil attraction at skin sites challenged with various stimuli has been recently suggested. In the present work, we confirmed that this molecule, at therapeutical concentration, has a potent inhibitory action on eosinophil response to different chemoattractant mediators such as platelet-activating factor (PAF acether) and N-formyl methionyl leucyl phenyl alanyl in vitro. Another anti-H1 drug, polaramine, did not show this effect at the same concentration. These findings suggest that cetirizine in addition to its antihistaminic effect could also play a direct inhibitory effect on eosinophil recruitment. Moreover, cetirizine was not toxic for eosinophils and did not induce degranulation, as shown by the absence of peroxidase release. Comparison between cetirizine and a PAF acether antagonist (BN 52021) suggested that cetirizine did not act by a PAF receptor-blocking activity.