Effect of pentoxifylline on differentiation and maturation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells in vitro

Pentoxifylline and Methylprednisolone Additively Alleviate Kidney Failure and Prolong Survival of Rats after Renal Warm Ischemia-Reperfusion

Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) induces local inflammation leading to kidney damage. Since pentoxifylline (PTX) and steroids have distinct immunomodulatory properties, we aimed to evaluate for the first time their combined use in IRI-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in rats. In two experiments, PTX (100 mg/kg body weight subcutaneously) was administered 90 min prior to renal IRI or/and methylprednisolone (MP; 100 mg/kg body weight intramuscularly) was infused 60 min after reperfusion of a solitary kidney (AKI model: 45 min ischemia, 48 male Sprague-Dawley rats) or one kidney with excision of contralateral kidney 2 weeks later (CKD model: 90 min ischemia, 38 rats). Saline was infused in place of PTX or/and MP depending on the group. Renal function (diuresis, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, sodium and potassium excretion, and urine protein/creatinine) was assessed at 48 h and 120 h post-IRI (AKI model) or 4, 16 and 24 weeks after IRI, along with survival analysis (CKD model). More evidently at early stages of AKI or CKD, treated animals showed higher glomerular filtration and diminished tubular loss of electrolytes, more so with PTX + MP than PTX or MP (serum creatinine (μmol/L) at 48 h of AKI: 60.9 ± 19.1 vs. 131.1 ± 94.4 vs. 233.4 ± 137.0, respectively, vs. 451.5 ± 114.4 in controls, all p < 0.05; and at 4 weeks of CKD: 89.0 ± 31.9 vs. 118.1 ± 64.5 vs. 156.9 ± 72.6, respectively, vs. 222.9 ± 91.4 in controls, p < 0.05 for PTX or PTX + MP vs. controls and PTX + MP vs. MP). Survival was better by >2-fold with PTX + MP (89%) vs. controls (40%; p < 0.05). PTX + MP largely protect from IRI-induced AKI and CKD and subsequent mortality in rats. This calls for clinical investigations, especially in kidney transplantation.

Effects of pentoxifylline on immediate and late-phase cutaneous reactions in response to anti-immunoglobulin E antibodies in clinically normal dogs

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the effects of pentoxifylline on the gross and microscopic variables associated with immediate and late-phase inflammation following injection of IgE-specific antibodies in the skin of clinically normal dogs.

ANIMALS

6 healthy adult mixed-breed dogs.

PROCEDURES

Intradermal injections (0.1 mL each) of PBS solution, histamine phosphate, and cross-linking rabbit-origin anti-canine IgE antibodies (3 injections/dog) were administered at 0 hours on day 0; wheal sizes were evaluated at 20 minutes, 6 hours, and 24 hours. Biopsy specimens of injected and noninjected skin were collected 24 hours after injection. On day 2, treatment with pentoxifylline (20 mg/kg, PO, q 8 h) was initiated and continued until day 30. For each dog, injection, measurement, and biopsy procedures were repeated on days 30 to 31 and on days 37 to 38 (ie, after discontinuation of pentoxifylline administration).

RESULTS

Pentoxifylline administration was associated with a significant decrease in wheal size at 6 and 24 hours (but not at 20 minutes) after injection of anti-canine IgE. Repeated injections performed 1 week after drug discontinuation revealed partial recovery of the 6-hour cutaneous reaction and complete recovery of the 24-hour cutaneous reaction. Pentoxifylline administration was also associated with inhibition of mast cell degranulation and significant decreases in the total numbers of cutaneous inflammatory cells and eosinophils, compared with pretreatment findings.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

In clinically normal dogs, pentoxifylline effectively impaired late-phase reactions but not immediate reactions at sites of intradermal injection of IgE-specific antibodies by inhibiting mast cell degranulation and recruitment of cutaneous inflammatory cells, especially eosinophils.

Pentoxifylline decreases soluble CD40 ligand concentration and CD40 gene expression in coronary artery disease patients

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE

Increased level of inflammatory mediators plays a central role in the features of coronary artery diseases (CAD). As pentoxifylline could suppress the inflammatory process and has shown some promising beneficial effects in inflammatory diseases, we evaluated the effect of 2 months pentoxifylline administration in patients with CAD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study design was used. Forty CAD patients (32 males and 8 females) were randomized into either 2 months of pentoxifylline treatment (1200 mg/day) (n = 20) or placebo treatment (n = 20). Blood samples were obtained before and after treatment. Gene expression analysis for mRNA of CD40, p65 and IκBα in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were performed using real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Plasma concentration of soluble CD40 (sCD40) ligand as well as protein concentration of p50 were measured by ELISA method.

RESULTS

Pentoxifylline decreased CD40 mRNA by 45% (p < 0.05) in PBMCs and sCD40 ligand level in plasma of CAD patients by 34% (p < 0.01).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Pentoxifylline treatment can suppress the CD40/CD40 ligand system activation in CAD patients. As this system has a role in plaque progression and plaque rupture, pentoxifylline could be a good choice for future studies in preventing cardiovascular events.

The effect of pentoxifylline and its metabolite-1 on inflammation and fibrosis in the TNBS model of colitis

TNBS-induced colitis has characteristics resembling human Crohn's disease including transmural inflammation, ulceration, and fibrosis. Current treatments target acute symptoms but do not necessarily prevent fibrotic complications of the disease. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of pentoxifylline and its primary metabolite (M-1) on fibrosis in the TNBS-induced colitis model. Myeloperoxidase activity and interleukin-18 are indicators of inflammation and were elevated in the TNBS model. The morphology damage score assesses colon damage and was also elevated in the TNBS model. Collagen as the indicator of fibrosis was quantified and visualized by the Sirius Red/Fast Green staining technique and collagen type I was assessed by Western analysis. Collagen was elevated in the TNBS-induced model. Pentoxifylline and M-1 treatment significantly attenuated colon damage and inflammation in TNBS-colitis (P<0.05). M-1 treatment significantly reduced the TNBS-induced increase in colon weight, colon thickness and total collagen content (P<0.05). Results suggest that pentoxifylline and M-1 inhibit intestinal fibrosis in this experimental model and may prove beneficial in the treatment of intestinal fibrosis associated with human Crohn's disease with the added benefit of inhibiting inflammation and ulceration. This is the first study to examine the effects of racemic M-1 in vivo and one of the few studies to examine the effect of drugs on both inflammation and fibrosis in an experimental model of colitis.

Principal component analysis of HPLC retention data and molecular modeling structural parameters of cardiovascular system drugs in view of their pharmacological activity

Evaluation of relationships between molecular modeling structural parameters and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) retention data of 11 cardiovascular system drugs by principal component analysis (PCA) in relation to their pharmacological activity was performed. The six retention data parameters were determined on three different HPLC columns (Nucleosil C18 AB with octadecylsilica stationary phase, IAM PC C10/C3 with chemically bounded phosphatidylcholine, and Nucleosil 100-5 OH with chemically bounded propanodiole), and using isocratically acetonitrile: Britton-Robinson buffer as the mobile phase. Additionally, molecular modeling studies were performed with the use of HyperChem software and MM+ molecular mechanics with the semi-empirical AM1 method deriving 20 structural descriptors. Factor analysis obtained with the use of various sets of parameters: structural parameters, HPLC retention data, and all 26 considered parameters, led to the extraction of two main factors. The first principal component (factor 1) accounted for 44–57% of the variance in the data. The second principal component (factor 2) explained 29–33% of data variance. Moreover, the total data variance explained by the first two factors was at the level of 73–90%. More importantly, the PCA analysis of the HPLC retention data and structural parameters allows the segregation of circulatory system drugs according to their pharmacological (cardiovascular) properties as shown by the distribution of the individual drugs on the plane determined by the two principal components (factors 1 and 2).

Alginate-crosslinked chitosan scaffolds as pentoxifylline delivery carriers

To prevent fibrous encapsulation of implants, measures are taken to suppress inflammatory reactions around them. Sustained anti-inflammatory drug release from the scaffolds can potentially be a way to reduce inflammation around these implants. Alginate-crosslinked chitosan is often used to make biocompatible tissue engineered scaffolds. However, there is a lack of quantitative studies on the drug delivery properties of alginate-crosslinked chitosan scaffolds. For this study, chitosan, crosslinked with different concentrations of alginate, was made into porous scaffolds. Infrared and thermal gravimetric analyses showed polyelectrolyte complex formation between chitosan and alginate units. The alginate-crosslinked chitosan scaffolds were more hydrophilic, showed less swelling, had lower pentoxifylline (PTX) release efficacies, were more favorable for initial cell attachment, and were mechanically stronger and more resistant to enzymatic degradation when compared to non-crosslinked chitosan scaffolds. The differences became more significant as the concentrations of chitosan and alginate increased. Furthermore, in vitro tests showed that when PTX was slowly released from the scaffolds, it became more effective in suppressing the production of TNF-alpha and IL-6 by stimulated macrophage cells.

Phosphorylation of the HuR ligand APRIL by casein kinase 2 regulates CD83 expression

Fully mature DC and, to a lesser extent, activated T and B cells express CD83, a surface molecule that appears to fulfil an important role in efficient T-cell activation. Recently, it has been shown that CD83 mRNA is transported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm by an uncommon route, involving the cellular RNA-binding protein HuR and the nuclear export receptor CRM1. Moreover, the shuttle phosphoprotein APRIL (ANP32B) has been shown to be required for HuR-mediated nucleocytoplasmic translocation of the CD83 mRNA by acting as an adaptor that links HuR and CRM1. Here, we are able to report that casein kinase 2 (CK2) phosphorylates APRIL on residue threonine244 (Thr(244)) and demonstrate that the CK2-specific inhibitor 4,5,6,7-tetrabromo-2-azabenzimidazole abolishes CD83 expression in activated Jurkat T cells by interfering with the nucleocytoplasmic translocation of CD83 mRNA. Depletion and knockdown studies demonstrate that the CK2 alpha' subunit is necessary for this regulation, whereas the CK2 alpha subunit seems to be dispensable. Taken together, the data presented significantly extend our knowledge of the complex regulation of CD83 mRNA processing and provides a novel strategy to interfere with CD83 expression.