THE EFFECT OF SOME ANTIINFLAMMATORY AGENTS ON ELASTASE RELEASE FROM NEUTROPHILS INVITRO

Abstract— In view of the potential role of released polymorphonuclear leucocyte elastase in causing tissue damage, the effect of commonly used anti‐inflammatory drugs on elastase release from neutrophils has been studied in‐vitro. Elastase release from neutrophils exposed to the synthetic bacterial cell wall peptide N‐formyl‐L‐methionyl‐L‐leucyl‐L‐phenylalanine (10−6 M) was quantitated using a radiometric immunoassay and a functional assay of elastase. Prednisolone and non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs inhibited elastase release at concentrations from 0.1 mM‐0.1 nM. No inhibition by sulphosalicylic acid, D‐penicillamine or chloroquine sulphate was observed. The clinical relevance of these findings is discussed. 1990 Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain