Protective effects of ibuprofen and methylprednisolone on chemotactic factor-induced transcutaneous hypoxia.

We showed previously in vitro that ibuprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent, at concentrations easily achievable in blood, inhibits polymorphonuclear leukocyte cell swelling and aggregation in response to chemotactic factor stimulation. To confirm this in vivo, we studied the ability of ibuprofen i.v. pretreatment to reverse the transcutaneous hypoxia induced by i.v. infusion of 1 nmol/kg of formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine. This effect was compared with that of methylprednisolone. For ibuprofen and methylprednisolone, respectively, the maximum percentage of reversal of hypoxia was 85 and 106%; the dose required to produce 50% of maximum reversal was 2.7 and 4.6 mg/kg; and the serum drug concentration needed to achieve 50% of maximum reversal was 14 and 11 micrograms/ml. We conclude that ibuprofen could be a useful alternative to steroidal antiinflammatory agents for the prevention and treatment of complications of stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes.