4-Quinolone drugs affect cell cycle progression and function of human lymphocytes in vitro.

A Forsgren, S F Schlossman, and T F Tedder

Abstract

Most antibacterial agents do not affect human lymphocyte function, but a few are inhibitory. In contrast, a pronounced increase in the incorporation of [3H]thymidine in the presence of 4-quinolones was observed in these studies. The uptake of [3H]thymidine into DNA (trichloroacetic acid precipitable) was significantly increased in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human lymphocytes when they were exposed to eight new 4-quinolone derivatives, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, A-56619, A-56620, amifloxacin, enoxacin, and pefloxacin, at 1.6 to 6.25 micrograms/ml for 5 days. Four less antibacterially active 4-quinolones (nalidixic acid, cinoxacin, flumequine, and pipemidic acid) stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation only at higher concentrations or not at all. Kinetic studies showed that incorporation of [3H]thymidine was not affected or slightly inhibited by ciprofloxacin 2 days after phytohemagglutinin stimulation but was increased on days 3 to 6. The total incorporation of [3H]thymidine from day 1 to day 6 after phytohemagglutinin stimulation was increased by 42 to 45% at 5 to 20 micrograms of ciprofloxacin per ml. Increased [3H]thymidine incorporation was also seen when human lymphocytes were stimulated with mitogens other than phytohemagglutinin. Ciprofloxacin added at the start of the culture had a more pronounced effect on [3H]thymidine incorporation than when added later. In spite of the apparent increase in DNA synthesis, lymphocyte growth was inhibited by 20 micrograms of ciprofloxacin per ml, and cell cycle analysis showed that ciprofloxacin inhibited progression through the cell cycle. In addition, immunoglobulin secretion by human lymphocytes stimulated by pokeweed mitogen for Epstein-Barr virus was inhibited by approximately 50% at 5 micrograms of ciprofloxacin per ml. These results suggest that the 4-quinolone drugs may also affect eucaryotic cell function in vitro, but additional studies are needed to establish an in vivo relevance.

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Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1986 March; 29(3): 506–508.

Quinolones affect thymidine incorporation into the DNA of human lymphocytes.

A Forsgren, A K Bergh, M Brandt, and G Hansson

Abstract

The incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA was increased in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human lymphocytes exposed to four of the new quinolone derivatives (ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, and A 56620) at concentrations achievable in clinical situations. However, proliferation of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes was not influenced by ciprofloxacin at concentrations of 0.5 to 10 micrograms/ml.

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