The influence of modulating substances on tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6 levels after injection of murine tumor necrosis factor or lipopolysaccharide in mice.

In this study, we investigated the influence of D-galactosamine (GalN), indomethacin, and dexamethasone on the pharmacokinetics of injected or induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) after a bolus injection of murine TNF (mTNF) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). It is well known that GalN treatment renders mice much more vulnerable to TNF or LPS lethality. Nevertheless, GalN had no influence on TNF clearance or IL-6 induction after mTNF injection; however, the induced TNF and IL-6 levels were considerably augmented by the GalN cotreatment when a high dose of LPS was injected (GalN was given as a single injection together with TNF or LPS). Indomethacin and dexamethasone, either of which shows a clear protection against TNF/LPS lethality in normal mice, did not change the clearance of injected mTNF, but both reduced the TNF-induced IL-6 levels. Indomethacin did not affect the level and clearance of LPS-induced TNF, whereas the induced IL-6 levels were significantly lower than in the control mice. The circulating TNF and IL-6 concentrations after LPS injection in mice pretreated with dexamethasone were very considerably reduced. Furthermore, neither agent had an influence on the number of TNF binding sites on hepatocytes. We conclude that the strongly enhanced sensitivity of GalN-treated mice towards mTNF-induced or LPS-induced lethality was not reflected in circulating TNF or IL-6 levels, and that dexamethasone and indomethacin both reduce circulating IL-6 concentrations in mice treated with TNF and LPS.