Effects of amino and imino acridines on tumor necrosis factor production by human leukocytes.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a multifunctional cytokine with diverse effects on different cells and tissues. The biological activity of TNF is described on the basis of its cytotoxic action in vivo and in vitro. Different acridines were systematically synthesized and their effects were tested on endotoxin and Staphylococcus aureus-induced TNF production by human leukocytes.

The inhibitory effects of allopurinol on the production and cytotoxicity of tumor necrosis factor.

Allopurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, impaired the cytotoxic effect of human recombinant tumor necrosis factor (TNF) against WEHI cells. Actinomycin D abolished the inhibition of cytotoxicity by allopurinol. Allopurinol also exerted an inhibitory effect on the production of TNF by human mononuclear cells stimulated by either heat-killed Staphylococcus aureus or E.

Inhibition of cytotoxicity of chicken granulocytes by serotonin and ketanserin.

Serotonin (5-HT) has been observed to impair the cytotoxicity of human natural killer (NK) cells. A study has now been made of the effect of 5-HT on the cytotoxic activity of chicken granulocytes. 5-HT at concentrations of 10(-3) to 10(-6) M inhibited the cytotoxicity of chicken granulocytes when added at the onset of the short-term cytotoxicity assay.

The inhibitory effect of interferon-alpha on the serotonin-induced impairment of human NK cell activity in whole blood.

Serotonin (5-HT) at a concentration of 10(-4) to 10(-10) M impaired the cytotoxicity of human natural killer cells in whole blood. 5-HT added at the onset of the short-term cytotoxic assay had a pronounced inhibitory effect. It is very likely that the 5-HT2 receptor is involved in the inhibition of cytotoxicity because ketanserin, an inhibitor of the 5-HT2 receptor, partially prevented the effect of 5-HT.

Inhibition of biological effects of endotoxins by phenothiazines.

The importance of change transfer reaction involving endotoxins of bacteria and interactions between endotoxin-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) were investigated both in vitro and in vivo in the presence of several phenothiazines. Complex formation between endotoxins and ring-substituted phenothiazines, benzodiazepines, amantadine and promethazine was measured using spectrophotometric methods. The endotoxin-induced hypotensive effect was prevented by phenothiazine pretreatment of the dogs; however, the endotoxin-phenothiazine complex had the same effect as the endotoxin itself.