BENZYDAMINE INHIBITS THE RELEASE OF TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA AND MONOCYTE CHEMOTACTIC PROTEIN-1 BY CANDIDA-ALBICANS STIMULATED HUMAN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD CELLS

Benzydamine is a non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug, devoid of activi ty on arachidonic acid metabolism, which is extensively used as a topi cal drug in inflammatory conditions, particularly for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis and Candida albicans-sustained vaginitis. In the present study the effects of benzydamine on the production of several inflammatory cytokines were examined in cultures of Candida albicans-s timulated human mononuclear cells. Benzydamine (6.25-50 mu M) inhibite d Candida-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha and, to a lesser extent, interleukin-1 beta production, whereas it did not affect interleukin- 6 release. Benzydamine also blocked monocyte chemotactic protein-1 sec retion, but it did not affect interleukin-8 production. Unlike benzyda mine, ibuprofen and naproxen, two non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs also used topically, were unable to suppress inflammatory lymphokine production from Candida-activated mononuclear cells. These data sugges t that benzydamine may be effective in local Candida infections at lea st in part by suppressing inflammatory cytokine and monokine productio n in the vaginal mucosa and consequently decreasing their levels in va ginal secretions.