GOLD SODIUM THIOMALATE DOWN-REGULATES INTERCELLULAR-ADHESION MOLECULE-1 AND VASCULAR CELL-ADHESION MOLECULE-1 EXPRESSION ON VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS

We examined whether antirheumatic drugs alter cytokine- or lipopolysac charide-induced expression of adhesion molecules on vascular endotheli al cells. Human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells were co-cultured with various antirheumatic drugs in the presence of inflammatory cyto kines, and adhesion molecule expression was measured by cell enzyme-li nked immunosorbent assay and Northern blot analysis. Among these antir heumatic drugs, gold sodium thiomalate significantly inhibited interce llular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expre ssion on vascular endothelial cells and suppressed cellular binding be tween human monocytic cell lines, including U937 and HL-60 cells, and interleukin-1 beta-stimulated vascular endothelial cells. It is specul ated that down-regulation of adhesion molecules might be one of the no vel mechanisms of action of gold sodium thiomalate.