Manabu Okumura (1,2), Hirofumi Kai (2), Shinya Shinozawa (1), Yoichiro
Isohama (2), Kazuo Takahama (2) and Takeshi Miyata (2,*)
(1) Department of Pharmacy, Miyazaki Medical College, 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake-cho,
Miyazaki 889-16, Japan
(2) Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Kumamoto 862, Japan
(*) To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract: We have previously reported that activated eosinophils
enhanced the phosphatidylcholine (PC) secretion in type II pneumocytes.
In this study, we have determined whether xanthine derivatives affect the
PC secretion increased by activated eosinophils. Theophylline enhanced the
increased PC secretion at 10-5 M. 8-Phenyltheophylline dose-dependently
enhanced the PC secretion. The enhanced secretion by either theophylline
at 10-5 M or 8-phenyltheophylline was suppressed by superoxide dismutase
in combination with catalase. Pentoxifylline did not enhance the PC secretion
increased by activated eosinophils, although it increased the PC secretion
by itself. The PC secretion increased by theophylline at 10-3 M or pentoxifylline
was not suppressed by superoxide dismutase in combination with catalase.
The present results suggest that xanthine derivatives increased the PC secretion
in the co-culture of type II pneumocytes and activated eosinophils possibly
through the inhibition of phosphodiesterases or the antagonism of adenosine
receptors of the eosinophils.
Keywords: Pneumocyte (type II), Phosphatidylcholine secretion, Eosinophil,
Superoxide anion, Xanthine derivative