Anti-inflammatory effects of anti-hypertensive agents: influence on interleukin-1β secretion by peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes from patients with essential hypertension.

The effects of clinically relevant concentrations of anti-hypertensive agents on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) secretion by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) were investigated in vitro. Lipopolysaccharide-induced secretion of IL-1β by PMNs from 15 hypertensive and 15 normotensive subjects after incubation with losartan, captopril, amlodipine, atenolol, and hydrochlorothiazide were assessed. IL-1β secretion by PMNs markedly increased in hypertensive patients versus normotensive subjects. Losartan, captopril, and amlodipine caused a concentration-dependent attenuation of IL-1β levels in both groups. Losartan, captopril, and amlodipine demonstrated marked in vitro anti-inflammatory effects at clinically relevant serum concentrations but atenolol and hydrochlorothiazide did not.