EFFECT OF MACROLIDE ANTIBIOTICS ON MACROPHAGE FUNCTIONS

Macrolide antibiotics have a variety of actions other than antimicrobi al activities. Recently, it has been suggested that macrolide antibiot ics act as immunomodulators. In this study, we evaluated the effects o f macrolide antibiotics on macrophage functions, For the macrophage, w e used the mouse macrophage cell line J774.1. The following effects of macrolide antibiotics on macrophage functions were evaluated: the eff ect of macrolide antibiotics on macrophage growth; the phagocytosis of beads; cytocidal activity against Candida albicans;. and chemotaxis t o lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Macrolide antibiotics except for azithromy cin significantly stimulated the growth of the macrophage. In addition , pretreatment with macrolide antibiotics except for roxithromycin sig nificantly stimulated the macrophage phagocytosis of beads, macrophage chemotaxis to LPS, and macrophage cytocidal activity against Candida albicans. These results suggest that macrolide antibiotics stimulate m acrophage functions.