An in vitro comparison of commonly used topical glucocorticoid preparations

Background: Glucocorticoids (GC) are potent inhibitors of peripheral blood eosinophil, basophil, and airway epithelial cell function. Objectives: We compared in vitro the inhibitory activity of synthetic GC us ed for topical treatment in asthma and rhinitis on basophil histamine relea se (HR), eosinophil viability, and expression of vascular cell adhesion mol ecule-1 (VCAM-1) in the human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B. Methods: Cells were treated for 24 hours with increasing concentrations (ra nge 10(-13) to 10(-6) mol/L) of fluticasone propionate (FP), mometasone fur oate (MF), budesonide (BUD), beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP), triamcinolo ne acetonide (TAA), hydrocortisone (HC), or dimethyl sulfoxide diluent befo re challenge, HR was measured by a fluorometric assay, viability of purifie d eosinophils was assessed by erythrosin B dye exclusion, and expression of VCAM-1 was measured by flow cytometry, Results: GC induced a concentration-dependent inhibition of anti-IgE-induce d HR, Maximum inhibition ranged from 59.7% to 81%, with a rank order of GC potency of FP > MF > BUD > BDP congruent to TAA ss HC, Three-day treatment of eosinophils with GC concentration-dependently inhibited IL-5-induced eos inophil viability, with a rank of potency almost identical to that observed with basophil HR, The rank order of potency of GC for inhibition of the ex pression of VCAM-1 in BEAS-2B cells was MF a PP much greater than BUD > TAA > HC congruent to BDP. Inhibitory concentration of 50% values revealed tha t epithelial cells were the most sensitive and eosinophils were the least s ensitive, Conclusions: These data, combined with information on pharmacodynamics of t hese drugs in vivo, may be useful in estimating GC local anti-inflammatory effects.