抄録
Background: Transdermal patches containing tulobuterol, slow-releasing β2-agonist patches, are now widely used in the treatment of asthma in Japan. Unlike inhalational β2-agonists, tulobuterol patches act systemically and may modify the functional status of inflammatory cells in the peripheral circulation. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of tulobuterol on the adhesive interaction between blood eosinophils and endothelial cells.
Methods: Peripheral blood eosinophils and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were pretreated with either tulobuterol or a control medium, and adhesion of eosinophils to HUVEC was examined using an eosinophil peroxidase assay.
Results: Spontaneous adhesion of eosinophils to resting HUVEC was not modified by tulobuterol. On the other hand, eosinophil adhesion to IL-4 + TNFα-stimulated-HUVEC was inhibited minimally but significantly by tulobuterol. Furthermore, both IL-5- and FMLP-activated adhesions of eosinophils to HUVEC were partially but significantly inhibited by tulobuterol.
Conclusions: Tulobuterol can decrease adhesion of blood eosinophils to endothelial cells. This finding suggests that tulobuterol patches have anti-inflammatory properties, and may therefore contribute to the treatment of airway inflammation in asthma.
