Flow cytometric evaluation of the effects of leukotriene B4 receptor antagonists (LY255283 and SC-41930) on calcium mobilization and integrin expression of activated human neutrophils.

Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) is a naturally occurring eicosanoid mediator which chemoattracts and stimulates human neutrophils to an activated state. In an attempt to identify novel antiinflammatory drugs, synthetic LTB4 receptor antagonists have been developed in several laboratories. In this study, the effects of two such LTB4 receptor antagonists were examined for their influences on two elements of human neutrophil activation using flow cytometric techniques. Quantitative flow cytometric assays of human neutrophil intracellular calcium mobilization and up-regulation of integrin (CD11b/CD18) cell surface expression were developed and used to determine the potency and selectivity of compounds LY255283 and SC-41930 on these activities. Our results indicate that both compounds preferentially block these functions of LTB4-induced human neutrophil activation in a concentration dependent manner and fall in the 1-2 microM range of antagonist activity. Compound SC-41930 was approximately twice as potent as LY255283 in blocking the targeted agonist effects. Both compounds were approximately 100-fold less potent in blocking the same functions of interleukin-8-induced human neutrophil activation.