[Modulation of the oxidative metabolism of granulocytes by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents]

In the present study we investigated the influence of the following four nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on the oxidative response of isolated human granulocytes: carprofen, tenoxicam, indomethacin, piroxicam. The effect of these drugs was assessed by a lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence. In the experiments carprofen significantly stimulated granulocytes. Indomethacin exhibited a similar effect. However, there was no strong dose-response relation. Preincubation of granulocytes with the four tested drugs resulted only at the highest concentrations in a reduced response of the cells to stimulation with the chemotactic peptide f-met-phe and zymosan-particles. The response of the cells stimulated with zymosan-activated serum as a source of the complement split product C5a and to stimulation with the tumor-promotor phorbol-myristate-acetate was not significantly altered. Only carprofen showed a dose-response-related inhibitory effect. In conclusion, the four tested nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs demonstrate different effects on the oxidative metabolism of human granulocytes. Lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence, hereby, could be a sensitive tool for measuring the effect of pharmaca on granulocyte function in vitro.