Troglitazone exhibits immunomodulatory activity on the cytokine productionof activated human lymphocytes

Troglitazone (TGL), a thiazolidinedione compound that improves the response of peripheral target tissue to insulin, also has anti-inflammatory propert ies, a potential means of protection from Type 1 (insulin dependent) diabet es. In order to test the ability of TGL to affect cytokine production, peri pheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors were exposed to TGL in t he presence or absence of a polyclonal activator (PHA) and the production o f cytokines assayed. TGL enhanced PHA response, promoted secretion of the c ytokines granulocyte and macrophage colony-stimulating factor and leukaemia inhibitory factor and inhibited tumour necrosis factor-alpha secretion, co nsistent with causing Th-2 differentiation in T-cells. These results sugges t that TGL is capable of modulating cytokine production and could therefore influence Th1/Th2 differentiation.