Effect of anti-inflammatory drugs on leukocyte superoxide production by soluble and particulate stimuli.

When polymorphonuclear leukocytes are treated with soluble and particulate substances the cells produce superoxide anion O2-. which plays a role in the activation of the oxidative metabolism. The time-course of O2-. release and the extent to which the anion is produced are related to the nature of the stimulating agents. Anti-inflammatory non steroid drugs, such as indomethacin and oxamethacin, exert a variable depression of the oxidative burst, which does not seem correlated to the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis.