[Influence of antibiotics on the production of interleukin-1 by macrophages].

Influence of cefoxitin and cefotaxime on interleukin-1 production (IL-1) by mice peritoneal resident macrophages activated by opsonized zymosan was investigated. Evaluation of the in vivo effect was done by examining macrophages of animals following intravenous administration of 30 mg/kg cefoxitin or cefotaxime. In vitro studies consisted in testing IL-1 production by macrophages in cell cultures in the presence of either antibiotic. In vivo IL-1 production was unchanged following cefoxitin treatment of cell donors, whereas a more than threefold increase was observed after administration of cefotaxime. In vitro, IL-1 production was enhanced by both antibiotics, but the pattern and extent of this effect diverged widely. Cefoxitin in a concentration of 300 micrograms/ml induced a threefold increase in IL-1 production. IL-1 production was increased tenfold and eightfold respectively by 150 and 300 micrograms/ml cefotaxime. When the concentration of either antibiotic was very high (400 micrograms/ml), the effect was significantly less important; a certain degree of inhibition was even observed with cefotaxime. Effects of cefoxitin and cefotaxime on IL-1 production and--as shown in previous studies--on prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production and sensitivity of immunocompetent cells to PGE2 may be important factors in the mechanism of immunological side effects which result in a modulation of the course of experimental infection.