Effect of beclomethasone dipropionate, formoterol and their combination on TNF-α-induced ICAM-1 and IL-8 expression in human bronchial epithelial cells

BACKGROUND: The adhesion molecule and chemokine expression in the airways has been implicated in inflammatory lung diseases. AIM: To investigate the effect of beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) and formoterol (F) alone and in combination (BDP/F) on TNF-α-induced ICAM-1 expression and IL-8 release in human bronchial epithelial cell line Calu-1. METHODS: Calu-1 cells were treated (309) with BDP (10 -11 –10 -5 M) or F (6/100 with respect to BDP) or BDP/F (10 -9 /6x10 -11 M) or drug diluent (control cells: CC) and then with TNF-α (200 U/ml; 4 hrs). Surface ICAM-1 expression and IL-8 release were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: BDP inhibited ICAM-1 expression (mean % decrement±SEM, n=11) only at the highest concentrations (10 -7 M, 10 -5 M: 15.3±2.3%, 17.4±2.3%, p -9 /6x10 -11 M:16.6±1.6% vs BDP 10 -9 M:7.7±1.3%, p -9 /6x10 -11 M:20.4±6.5% vs BDP 10 -9 M:12±4%; p=0.05, n=7). F did not affect ICAM-1 and IL-8 expression. CONCLUSIONS: BDP in combination with F provided greater inhibition of ICAM-1 and IL-8 expression as compared to each drug. These observations may imply that BDP/F exerts anti-inflammatory effects in airways by modulating adhesion molecule and chemokine expression in bronchial epithelial cells.