Effect of tenoxicam and indomethacin on the chemotaxis induced by substance P and interleukin-8 on human monocytes and polymorphonuclear cells.

The neuropeptide substance P and the cytokine interleukin-8 are potent chemotactic factors for monocytes and/or polymorphonuclear cells. They are present in the synovial fluid of arthritic patients, and participate in the pathogenesis of arthritis. We investigated in vitro the effect of two non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, tenoxicam and indomethacin, on the chemotactic effect of substance P and interleukin-8 at concentrations that can be reached in the synovial fluid of arthritic patients. Both drugs decreased the chemotaxis induced by substance P and interleukin-8 at concentrations that can be reached in the synovial fluid during therapy. This result could be of importance for the use of these two non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs in studying the development and progress of arthritic disease.