ENHANCEMENT OF HUMAN POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTE MOTILITY BY ERYTHROMYCIN INVITRO AND INVIVO

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 66  (5) , 173-177
Abstract
The effects of erythromycin on the migration, phagocytosis and antimicrobial activity of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) were investigated in vitro. Therapeutic concentrations of erythromycin potentiated PMNL staphylocidal activity without affecting phagocytosis. PMNL random motility and migration to leuko-attractant endotoxin-activated serum (EAS) were significantly enhanced by erythromycin at concentrations of > 5 .times. 10-5 M (16.5 .mu.g/ml). To assess the possible in vivo significance of these findings the same PMNL functions were investigated in healthy adult volunteers before and 90 min and 1 wk after the ingestion of a single 500 mg tablet of erythromycin stearate. PMNL migration to EAS and antimicrobial activity were significantly increased after ingestion of erythromycin and eventually returned to normal levels. A single i.p. injection of 1.5 mg erythromycin lactobionate significantly increased the mean survival time of mice experimentally infected with Candida albicans. These micro-organisms are resistant to the antimicrobial effects of erythromycin. These findings show that erythromycin possesses nonspecific immunopotentiating properties which may contribute to the antimicrobial activity of this antibiotic.

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