The phosphodiesterase inhibitors pentoxifylline and rolipram suppress macrophage activation and nitric oxide production in vitro and in vivo

Clin Immunol. 2001 Feb;98(2):272-9. doi: 10.1006/clim.2000.4964.

Abstract

We studied the effects of the phosphodiesterase inhibitors pentoxifylline (PTX) and rolipram (ROL) on nitric oxide (NO) production by macrophages and correlated this with cellular cAMP levels. The RAW 264.7 cell line or mouse peritoneal macrophages were activated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon gamma (IFN gamma), with or without ROL, PTX, cAMP analogues, or Forskolin. In vivo, peritoneal macrophages were stimulated with staphylococcal enterotoxin B with or without administration of ROL. Nitrite levels in culture and the total cellular cAMP levels were measured. ROL and PTX suppressed NO production of LPS/IFN gamma-stimulated macrophages. ROL (IC(50) = 68-74 microM) was about 40 times more potent than PTX (IC(50) = 2.4-2.9 mM). The suppression paralleled increased total cellular cAMP level (EC(50) = 68-72 microM) and was mimicked by other cAMP elevating agents. ROL and PTX suppressed inducible NO synthase at the mRNA level. The inhibition of NO production of macrophages by ROL or PTX could be beneficial in NO-mediated inflammatory and/or autoimmune disorders.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Autoimmune Diseases / drug therapy
  • Autoimmune Diseases / genetics
  • Autoimmune Diseases / immunology
  • Bucladesine / pharmacology
  • Cells, Cultured / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured / metabolism
  • Colforsin / pharmacology
  • Cyclic AMP / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / drug therapy
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / genetics
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / immunology
  • Dibutyryl Cyclic GMP / pharmacology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Enterotoxins / pharmacology
  • Enzyme Induction / drug effects
  • Female
  • Interferon-gamma / pharmacology
  • Interleukin-12 / pharmacology
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Macrophage Activation / drug effects*
  • Macrophages, Peritoneal / drug effects
  • Macrophages, Peritoneal / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Nitric Oxide / biosynthesis*
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / biosynthesis
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / genetics
  • Nitrites / analysis
  • Pentoxifylline / pharmacology*
  • Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • RNA, Messenger / biosynthesis
  • Recombinant Proteins / pharmacology
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Rolipram / pharmacology*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / pharmacology

Substances

  • Enterotoxins
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Nitrites
  • Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Interleukin-12
  • Colforsin
  • 8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Dibutyryl Cyclic GMP
  • enterotoxin B, staphylococcal
  • Bucladesine
  • Interferon-gamma
  • Cyclic AMP
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase
  • Rolipram
  • Pentoxifylline