Effect of tenoxicam on inflammation and immune cellular function.

1. We have shown that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are potent inhibitors of neutrophil activation. Tenoxicam is a new compound of the oxicam family which has been shown to be effective for routine clinical use. 2. In the present study we examined the immune pharmacological effects of this compound on lymphocyte function by determining its effect on the expression of IL-2 receptors, on monocyte function by looking at chemotaxis and IL-1 release and on neutrophil function by evaluating the chemotactic response to a standard stimulus. 3. The data show that Tenoxicam inhibits the neutrophil and monocyte functional chemotactic response in vitro, and to some extent in vivo for monocytes, but has no effect on the expression of IL-2 receptors or IL-1 release. Tenoxicam inhibits the mobilization of neutrophils and monocytes to inflammatory sites, even though this effect was not clearly demonstrable when cells were tested after oral use.