July 30, 2004 EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH 365 Eur J Med Res (2004) 9: 365-370 © I. Holzapfel Publishers 2004 DIFFERENT MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF BETA2-ADRENERGIC RECEPTOR AGONISTS: A COMPARISON OF REPROTEROL, FENOTEROL AND SALBUTAMOL ON MONOCYTE CYCLIC-AMP AND LEUKOTRIENE B4 PRODUCTION IN VITRO U. R. Juergens1, M. Stöber1, H. Libertus2, W. Darlath3, A. Gillissen4, H. Vetter1 1Department of Pneumology, Medical Outpatient Clinic, Bonn University Hospital, Germany; 2VIATRIS, Frankfurt Clinical Development, Germany, 3Aventis Pharma Germany, Clinical Development, Bad Soden, Germany; 4St. George Medical Center, Robert-Koch-Hospital, Leipzig, Germany Abstract INTRODUCTION Background: Beta2-adrenergic receptor agonists have several effects on airway function, most of which are Asthma treatment is based on anti-inflammatory and mediated in a variety of cell types resulting in in- bronchodilator therapy [19]. Beta2-adrenergic recep- creased c-AMP-production and inhibition of inflam- tor agonists act as potent smooth muscle relaxants matory mediator production. However, their stimulat- and are important drugs for the relief of acute asth- ing effects on cAMP-production became known to be matic bronchoconstriction. In addition, they are able inversed by increasing phosphodiesterase (PDE) activ- to inhibit the release of inflammatory mediators in ity and degradation of cAMP. Therefore, in this study leukocytes and airway cells, such as histamine and we have evaluated the efficacy of reproterol, a dual leukotrienes from mast cells [4] and therefore may acting beta2-adrenoceptor agonist and PDE-inhibitor, play a role in suppressing the acute asthmatic inflam- as compared to salbutamol and fenoterol with respect matory reaction [1]. Beta 2-adrenergic receptor ago- to production of cAMP and LTB4 in cultured mono- nists act by stimulating the intracellular activity of cytes. adenylyl cyclase resulting in increased production of Methods: Isolated human monocytes (10 5/ml) were in- cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) [20]. Cyclic- cubated (n = 9) in suspension with beta2-adrenocep- AMP plays an important regulatory role in many cell tor agonists (10 -10-10 -4M) for 30 minutes with and types involved in the pathophysiology of asthma. It without IBMX. Then, cAMP production was deter- suppresses the activity of immune and inflammatory mined following treatment with Triton-X100. Produc- cells and leads to acute relaxation of airway smooth tion of LTB4 was measured following incubation of muscles [25]. beta2-adrenoceptor agonists for 4 hrs in the presence The bronchodilator reproterol is a monomolecular of LPS (10 mg/ml). cAMP and LTB4 were measured in compound synthesised by combination of the non-se- culture supernatants by enzyme immunoassay. lective beta-agonist orciprenaline (known in the US as Results: At 10 -5 M, production of cAMP was signifi- metaproterenol) and the xanthine derivative theo- cantly stimulated by reproterol > fenoterol > salbuta- phylline [8]. We could recently show that reproterol mol in a dose-dependent manner to an extent of stimulates cAMP and inhibits leukotriene B4 (LTB4) *128%, *65%, 13% (*p<0.04) respectively. In contrast, production in cultured monocytes in vitro [10]. The LTB4-production was inhibited significantly to a simi- effects exerted by reproterol were greater than those lar degree by salbutamol and reproterol in a dose-de- of each of its constituents alone, probably due to a pendent manner by 59% and 49% (10 -5M, p<0.03), re- synergistic action of the orciprenaline and the theo- spectively, with decreasing inhibition (15%) after phylline component of the molecule on adenylyl cy- fenoterol. Following co-incubation with IBMX, cAMP clase and phosphodiesterase enzymes. These results production only increased significantly (p<0.002) after are of interest as a combination of reproterol and sodi- fenoterol (+110%) compared to salbutamol (+29%) um cromoglycerate is used for asthma therapy in Ger- and reproterol (+50%) (ANOVA, p<0.001). many. In a clinical trial, the protective effects of the Conclusion: These data suggest effects of the theo- fixed drug combination of inhaled reproterol and sodi- phylline constituent of reproterol to inhibit adenylyl um cromoglycate in exercise-induced asthma com- cyclase induced phosphodiesterase activity. The advan- pared to both substances alone were superior suggest- tageous synergistic effects of reproterol on cAMP- ing the use of a combination of reproterol and sodium production need to be further explored in trials. cromoglycerate in exercise-induced asthma on children and adults [2]. This peculiar importance of reproterol Key words: asthma, reproterol, salbutamol, fenoterol, compared to salbutamol and fenoterol may be of fur- cAMP, leukotriene B4. ther interest. 366 EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH July 30, 2004 We have now examined two selective beta2-adreno- ceptor agonists, salbutamol and fenoterol, in order to further determine the potential role of the theo- phylline component of the reproterol molecule. We aimed at investigating whether reproterol is more po- tent than salbutamol or fenoterol with respect to in- creasing cAMP levels and related suppression of LTB4-production in cultured human monocytes. METHODS Six healthy non-smoking volunteers (age: 25 ± 5 years) with no history of asthma or atopic disease agreed to donate 60 ml of blood for each experiment. Monocytes were isolated by gradient centrifugation as previously described (Nycodenz Monocytes, 1.068 Fig. 1. Increased stimulation of cAMP-production with repro- g/l) resulting in platelet-free samples of 2-3x10 6 cells terol compared to fenoterol and salbutamol in vitro. In cul- with a purity of >95% as assessed by light microscopy tured monocytes, spontaneous cAMP-production (n = 9) was [3]. Cell vitality was >98% as determined by trypan increased significantly (*p<0.04) more by reproterol (10-5M, blue exclusion and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activ- 10-4M) compared to fenoterol or salbutamol. At 10-6 M ef- ity (Boehringer Ingelheim, Germany). fects of fenoterol or salbutamol were not significantly differ- Effects of reproterol (Bronchospamin®, VIATRIS, ent (**p = 0.08, ANOVA) compared to reproterol. Frankfurt, Germany), salbutamol and fenoterol (Sig- ma) were determined following incubation of mono- cytes (10 5/ml) cultured for 30 minutes in suspension. For the measurement of cAMP cells were made per- meable in the presence of Triton-X100 (0.25 mM/ 10 min, Sigma). Monocytes were thereafter pelleted by centrifugation (500 g for 5 minutes at 4°C) and the su- pernatants were harvested and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80°C until assayed. Ex- periments were repeated after non-specific inhibition of phosphodiesterases with IBMX (preincubation of 10 5 cells/ml with 0.25 x 10 -3M IBMX, Sigma, for 5 minutes). For the determination of LTB4-production, aliquots of monocytes (10 5/ml) were incubated with an optimal concentration of lipopolysaccharide (10µg/ml, LPS) and the test substance on 48-well- plates (Costar) for 4 hours at 37°C in RPMI 1640 con- taining 10% foetal calf serum. LTB4 and cAMP were measured in the culture su- pernatants by direct enzyme immunoassay as previ- ously described [9] -(materials purchased from Cay- man Chem. Corp., Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; mi- Fig. 2. Stimulation of cAMP production by beta2-adrenergic crotiter plates from Nunc, Kamstrup, Denmark). receptor agonists following PDE-inhibition. Production of cAMP was measured after incubation of normal monocytes STATISTICAL ANALYSIS (105/ml) for 30 min. with IBMX (0.25 X 10-3 M) and beta2- adrenergic receptor agonists. Stimulation of cAMP produc- All results are expressed as means ± standard errors of tion following PDE-inhibition was greater for fenoterol than the means (SEM) for triplicate cultures of 3-4 experi- for reproterol and salbutamol but did not significantly in- ments, if not mentioned otherwise. Mann Whitney U crease after salbutamol (*p<0.03, **p<0.09). nonparametric tests, paired t-tests and ANOVA were used where appropriate for statistical comparisons of drug effects with the control and different beta2-ago- dose-dependent increase from 24 ± 16% at 10 -7M nists. P-values were considered significant if <0.05. All (p>0.05) to 414 ± 14% at 10 -4M as compared to the analyses were performed using the StatView 5.01 soft- control (p = 0.0012, Fig. 1, Table 1). Fenoterol and ware (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA) for Macin- salbutamol exerted much smaller effects compared to tosh computers. the control with maximum values of 65 ± 23% at 10 -5M fenoterol and of 22 ± 3% at 10 -4M salbutamol, RESULTS respectively. These effects, however, were not statisti- cally significant (Table 1). Stimulation of cAMP-pro- CAMP-PRODUCTION duction by reproterol (10 -5M, 10 -4M) was significantly After reproterol had been added to the test system, greater than after salbutamol or fenoterol (n = 9, p = production of cAMP (n = 9) by monocytes showed a 0.0002 by ANOVA). July 30, 2004 EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH 367 Table 1. Increase of spontaneous cAMP production in cultured monocytes after incubation with reproterol (n = 9), salbutamol (n = 7) and fenoterol (n = 9) without IBMX in percent. Reproterol Salbutamol Fenoterol M/30min cAMP *Effect p-value cAMP *Effect p-value cAMP *Effect p-value (pg/105)(%) (pg/105)(%) (pg/105)(%) Baseline 1.064 - - 1.433 - - 1.114 - - ±0.19 ±0.03 ±0.179 10-9 1.095 2.9 0.7963 1.3 -9.3 0.4386 1.341 20.9 0.8137 ±0.334 ±30 ±0.03 ±2 ±0.153 ±11 10-8 0.896 -15.8 1 1.328 -7.3 0.6056 1.182 6.1 0.711 ±0.283 ±31 ±0.083 ±6.2 ±0.061 ±5 10-7 1.317 23.8 0.1826 1.451 1.2 1 1.4 25.6 0.191 ±0.208 ±16 ±0.086 ±6 ±0.229 ±16 10-6 1.575 48 0.1307 1.692 18.7 0.0865 1.511 35.6 0.1912 ±0.285 ±18 ±0.089 ±5 ±0.276 ±18 10-5 2.42 127.4 0.0012 1.618 12.9 0.2833 1.843 65.4 0.0833 ±0.187 ±8 ±0.119 ±7 ±0.349 ±23 10-4 5.479 414.9 0.0012 1.75 22.1 0.055 1.632 46.5 0.4629 ±0.776 ±14 ±0.054 ±3 ±0.583 ±36 = % change from control Table 2.