Effects of subminimal inhibitory concentrations of minocycline on neutrophil chemotactic factor production in comedonal bacteria, neutrophil phagocytosis and oxygen metabolism.

Comedonal bacteria, Propionibacterium acnes, P. granulosum and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) seem to play an important initiating role in the inflammatory process by producing neutrophil chemotactic factors. The attracted neutrophils, after phagocytosis, release inflammatory factors such as reactive oxygen species (ROS). We investigated the effects of minocycline at subminimal inhibitory concentrations (sub-MIC), i.e. one-tenth MIC, on the production of human neutrophil chemotactic factors in comedonal bacteria, and on several inflammatory parameters of neutrophils, including neutrophil phagocytosis and generation of ROS (O2-, H2O2, OH.). ROS generation in a cell-free, xanthine-xanthine oxidase system was also assessed. Production of neutrophil chemotactic factors in all strains of P. acnes, P. granulosum and CNS were significantly suppressed by sub-MIC minocycline. Sub-MIC minocycline effectively reduced three kinds of neutrophil-generated ROS (O2-, H2O2, OH.). However, neutrophil phagocytosis and the ROS generated in a cell-free system were not markedly changed in the presence of sub-MIC minocycline. The results suggest that sub-MIC minocycline has an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the production of neutrophil chemotactic factors in comedonal bacteria as well as ROS generated by neutrophils in the inflammatory process of acne.