Influence of nitroimidazole derivatives on leukocyte migration.

Spontaneous and directed neutrophil granulocyte migration are known to be depressed in patients with various clinical disorders, for example those in an active phase of Crohn's disease. The effects of tinidazole, ornidazole, metronidazole and levamisole on the migration of neutrophil granulocytes in patients with Crohn's disease were investigated. It was shown that nitroimidazole derivatives improved the migration of granulocytes in most of the patients with Crohn's disease but that they had no effect on normal cells. It was also shown that washing of the neutrophil granulocytes with Krebs Ringers phosphate medium resulted in normalization of cell motility. It is possible that the nitroimidazole derivatives improve leukocyte migration by causing a release of surface-attached complexes from the granulocytes.