PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - R Hidi AU - S Timmermans AU - E Liu AU - C Schudt AU - G Dent AU - ST Holgate AU - R Djukanovic TI - Phosphodiesterase and cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent inhibition of T-lymphocyte chemotaxis AID - 10.1034/j.1399-3003.2000.15b21.x DP - 2000 Feb 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - 342--349 VI - 15 IP - 2 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/15/2/342.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/15/2/342.full SO - Eur Respir J2000 Feb 01; 15 AB - There is abundant evidence for T-lymphocyte recruitment into the airways in allergic inflammatory responses. This study has tested the hypothesis that T-cell chemotaxis induced by platelet-activating factor (PAF) and human recombinant interleukin-8 (hrIL-8) can be attenuated by inhibition of phosphodiesterase activity and raised intracellular 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels. This study used theophylline, a nonselective phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor, and rolipram, a selective PDE4 inhibitor, to study the effect of PDE inhibition on T-cell chemotaxis. The beta2-adrenoceptor agonist, salbutamol, the adenylyl cyclase activator, forskolin, and the cAMP analogue, dibutyryl cAMP (db-cAMP), were used to demonstrate a role for raised cAMP levels. T-cells were obtained from 10 atopic asthmatics, and the phenotype of migrating cells was examined by flow cytometry. Theophylline caused an inhibition of both PAF-and hrIL-8-induced chemotaxis (mean+/-SEM maximum inhibition at 1 mM: 73+/-4% and 48+/-8% for hrIL-8 and PAF, respectively) that was not specific for the CD4+, CD8+, CD45RO+ or CD45RA+ T-cell subsets. T-cell chemotaxis was more sensitive to treatment with rolipram whose effect was already significant from 0.1 microM on hrIL-8-induced chemotaxis. Both a low concentration of salbutamol (0.1 mM) and forskolin (10 microM) potentiated the inhibitory effect of a low concentration of theophylline (25 microM) on responses to PAF but not to hrIL-8. Finally, T-cell chemotaxis was also inhibited by db-cAMP. It is concluded that attenuation of T-cell chemotaxis to two chemoattractants of relevance to asthma pathogenesis can be achieved via phosphodiesterase inhibition and increased intracellular 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate using drugs active on cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase. This action may explain the anti-inflammatory effects of theophylline and related drugs in asthma.