INHALED CORTICOSTEROIDS AND BETA-AGONISTS INHIBIT OXIDANT PRODUCTION BY BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE CELLS FROM NORMAL VOLUNTEERS IN-VIVO

To study the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of inhaled corticosteroids a nd beta-agonist therapies, we evaluated basal and stimulus-induced sup eroxide production by human airway inflammatory cells obtained by bron choalveolar lavage from normal volunteers before and after 3 weeks of an inhaled corticosteroid (flunisolide) and beta-agonist (metaproteren ol). Assay of superoxide production by the bronchoalveolar lavage cell s was performed in the presence of media alone or media containing pho rbol ester by optical density determination of reduced ferricytochrome c at 550 nm. Interleukin-lp released from unstimulated cells and cell s stimulated with lipopolysaccharide was quantitated by enzyme immunoa ssay. Interestingly, phorbol ester-stimulated superoxide production wa s strikingly inhibited (P < 0.05) by inhaled therapies, while stimulus induced Interleukin-1 beta production was not significantly affected (P = 0.12). Suppression of oxidant production by airway inflammatory c ells may be a major mechanism for the beneficial anti-inflammatory eff ects of inhaled corticosteroids and beta-agonists. (C) 1997 Elsevier S cience B.V.