EFFECTS OF ERYTHROMYCIN ON CHEMOATTRACTANT-ACTIVATED HUMAN POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES

1. Erythromycin (2-100 mu g ml(-1)) produced a concentration-related i nhibition of superoxide generation and elastase release induced by in vitro exposure of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) to the che motactic peptide N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP; 30 nM). 2. By contrast, erythromycin (100 mu g ml(-1)) did not alter the leuk otriene B-4 production elicited by FMLP (30 nM; in the presence of thi merosal 20 mu M) or the intracellular calcium changes promoted by FMLP (30 nM; in the absence or presence of thimerosal 20 mu M). 3. These r esults indicate that by reducing chemoattractant-triggered release of oxidative and proteolytic mediators from human PMNs, erythromycin may have clinically useful antiinflammatory effects. (C) 1997 Elsevier Sci ence Inc.