Monocyte intracellular cytokine production during human endotoxaemia with or without a second in vitro LPS challenge: effect of RWJ-67657, a p38 MAP-kinase inhibitor, on LPS-hyporesponsiveness
Authors: FAAS, M. M.1; MOES, H.1; FIJEN, J. W.2; KOBOLD, A. C. MULLER3; TULLEKEN, J. E.2; ZIJLSTRA, J. G.2
Source: Clinical & Experimental Immunology, Volume 127, Number 2, February 2002 , pp. 337-343(7)
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing
Abstract:
SUMMARY In the present study, we investigated the effect of RWJ-67657, a p38 MAP kinase inhibitor, upon in vivo LPS-induced monocyte cytokine production and upon monocyte LPS-hyporesponsiveness. Thirty minutes before a single injection of LPS (4 ng/kg BW), healthy male volunteers received a single oral dose of RWJ-67657 at increasing dosages (0-1400 mg). Blood samples (pre-medication, 3, 6 and 24 h after LPS) were immediately incubated with LPS (reflecting LPS-hyporesponsiveness) or without LPS (reflecting in vivo monocyte stimulation) for 4 h at 37°C. Following red blood cells lysis and white blood cell permeabilization, cells were labelled with α-CD14-FITC and α-IL-1β, α-IL-12 or α-TNFα (PE-labelled), fixed, and analysed using flow cytometry. In vivo LPS injection resulted in an increased percentage of circulating monocytes producing IL-1β, TNFα and IL-12 only at 3 h after the LPS injection. This was dose-dependently inhibited by RWJ-67657 treatment. LPS-hyporesponsiveness to in vitro LPS treatment was most prominent at 3 and 6 h after the in vivo LPS injection; compared with pre-medication monocytes, at these intervals a reduced percentage of monocytes produced IL-1β, TNFα or IL-12 after the in vitro LPS stimulus. At t = 6 h, this LPS-hyporesponsiveness could dose-dependently be inhibited by RWJ-67657 treatment of the volunteers. We therefore conclude that p38 MAP kinase inhibition with RWJ-67657 inhibited monocyte production of cytokines following in vivo LPS injection. Treatment with RWJ-67657 also reversed the LPS-hyporesponsiveness. Whether this result can be extended to the clinical situation remains to be elucidated. Patients with sepsis or an otherwise high risk for multi-organ failure are potential study groups.Keywords: p38 MAP kinase; LPS-hyporesponsiveness; human endotoxaemia; monocytes; cytokines
Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2249.2002.01765.x
Affiliations: 1: Reproductive Immunology, Medical Biology Branch, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, 2: Intensive and Respiratory Care Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Groningen, and 3: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

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