Effects of antibiotics on human polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis in vitro.

The effects produced in vitro by minocycline (MINO), aminobenzyl penicillin (ABPC) and cefotiam (CTM) on polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) chemotaxis were investigated in this study using the Boyden chamber technique and polarization assay. The following results were obtained: CTM brought about a significant increase of PMN chemotaxis at the therapeutic dose (10, 100 micrograms/ml), MINO reduced PMN chemotaxis significantly at a concentration as low as 1 microgram/ml and ABPC did not influence PMN chemotaxis at concentrations up to 100 micrograms/ml in both methods. Furthermore, using a checkerboard assay, it was shown that CTM worked as a chemokinetic factor.