Interactions of antirheumatic drugs with the superoxide generation system of activated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

The effects of antirheumatic drugs on superoxide anion (O2-.) production by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) activated in vitro with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) were investigated. Chloroquine (CLQ), auranofin (AF) and chlorotriethylphosphine gold (CTEP-G) at 10(-6) to 10(-4) M inhibited PMA and fMLP induced O2-. production in a dose dependent fashion. These drugs had no effect on O2-. production by the hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase system, indicating that their inhibitory effects were directed at the O2-. generating mechanism and that they were not scavengers of the O2-. formed. AF and CTEP-G inhibited the specific binding of 3H fMPL to PMNL membrane receptors, whereas CLQ had no effect. Colchicine (COL) and gold sodium thiomalate (GSTM) on the other hand did not significantly affect PMA and fMLP induced O2-. production or the specific binding of the ligands to PMNL. The antirheumatic drugs had no effect on isolated neutrophil membrane protease, a chymotrypsin-like enzyme that has been implicated in the activation of NAD(P)H oxidase. However, several of the drugs inhibited the enzymatic activity of a subcellular preparation of PMNL NAD(P)H oxidase, the order of potency being GSTM greater than CLQ greater than penicillamine greater than COL greater than AF approximately equal to CTEP-G. The isolated NAD(P)H oxidase was also inhibited by the thiol compounds--thiomalic acid and dithiothreitol, suggesting that the mechanism of inhibition may involve sulfhydryl-disulfide interchange reactions.