A role for Paf-acether (platelet-activating factor) in acute skin inflammation?

Intracamerally injected platelet activating factor (PAF) induces marked intraocular inflammatory reactions

An inflammatory response was elicited in the rabbit eye by intracameral injection of platelet activating factor (PAF). PAF induced severe aqueous flare, corneal edema, pupillary constriction and marked biphasic changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) in a dose-dependent manner. All of the responses to PAF were inhibited by the PAF receptor antagonist, BN 52021 (20 mg/kg, i.p.). The cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin (30 mg/kg, i.p.) caused significant inhibition of the early phase PAF-induced aqueous flare, pupillary constriction and intraocular hypertension, but did not effect PAF-induced corneal edema or intraocular hypotension. NDGA (10 mg/kg, i.p.), a lipoxygenase inhibitor, did not inhibit the inflammatory effects of PAF. PAF-induced chemotactic response was evaluated by tissue chemiluminescence. Intracamerally injected PAF did not significantly increase chemiluminescence in cornea or iris-ciliary body, but intracorneal injection of PAF did cause a chemotactic response in both the conjunctiva and cornea. These data suggest that PAF may be an important mediator of intraocular inflammation and that some PAF-induced effects are prostaglandin dependent, while others may be independent of eicosanoid synthesis and release.

Effects of PAF-antagonists in mouse ear oedema induced by several inflammatory agents

1. Several platelet activating factor (PAF)-antagonists of different chemical structures were tested in the arachidonic acid-, tetradecanoylphorbol acetate-, dithranol-, and benzoic acid-induced mouse ear oedema models. 2. Topical application of UR-10324, UR-11353, CV-6209 and WEB-2086 markedly inhibited ear oedema induced by the four irritants tested, mimicking the profile obtained with dexamethasone. YM-461 was highly effective only in the dithranol-induced ear oedema, while BN-52021 failed to inhibit ear oedema in all models tested. 3. Leukocyte recruitment into the inflamed ears was prevented by PAF-antagonists, as measured by myeloperoxidase activity in the supernatants of ear homogenates. 4. A relationship between PAF-antagonist and anti-inflammatory activities was found in some cases, but other mechanisms cannot be excluded to explain the topical anti-inflammatory effect of these compounds. 5. Our results suggest that topical formulations containing PAF-antagonists could be useful in the treatment of some inflammatory skin diseases and provide evidence on the involvement of PAF in these inflammatory processes.

Differential inhibition by two hetrazepine PAF antagonists of acute inflammation in the mouse

1. The injection of 100 or 300 micrograms of carrageenin into the mouse paw or pleural cavity produced a delayed inflammatory reaction at 48 h while platelet activating factor (PAF)-induced paw oedema and pleurisy were maximal 30 min after its injection. 2. The PAF antagonist, WEB 2086, failed to inhibit mouse paw oedema and pleurisy induced by PAF, but reduced the first phase of oedema (1-4 h) induced by carrageenin without interfering with the second one (48-72 h). In contrast, another structurally-related PAF antagonist, WEB 2170, inhibited dose-dependently both oedema and pleurisy induced by PAF and by carrageenin (48 h). 3. Repeated injections of PAF into the mouse paw or pleural cavity led to significant autodesensitization. The animals desensitized to PAF and injected with carrageenin also displayed a significantly reduced oedema. 4. Our results suggest that PAF may be involved in the inflammatory response to carrageenin in mice. Furthermore, because the different receptor antagonists displayed distinct effects against PAF itself, different sites for in vivo interaction of PAF are available and are species- and drug-dependent.

Pharmacological modulation of Paf-induced rat pleurisy and its role in inflammation by zymosan

1. The intrapleural injection of Paf-acether into rats caused, at 30 min, a marked exudation accompanied by a reduction in the pleural leucocyte count. At 6 h, the exudate volume had decreased and a significant increase in the total leucocyte count, particularly eosinophils was noted. 2. Two Paf-acether antagonists, WEB 2086 and 48740 RP abrogated the pleural leucopenia observed 30 min after Paf-acether administration, whereas the exudation was inhibited only by the former. Pleurisy was also reduced by about 60% with dexamethasone, by about 45% with BW 755C or LY 171883, a mixed cyclo-oxygenase/lipoxygenase inhibitor and a peptido-leukotriene antagonist respectively, and by about 30% with indomethacin, flurbiprofen or piroxicam. 3. Repeated daily intrapleural injections of Paf-acether led to a state of progressive desensitization to Paf-acether itself, whereas responsiveness to 5-hydroxytryptamine was maintained. In addition, the Paf-induced auto-desensitization was largely inhibited by WEB 2086. 4. Pleurisy induced by zymosan, but not by carrageenin, was significantly reduced in Paf-acether-desensitized animals. These results were consistent with those obtained with WEB 2086 which suppressed zymosan-induced but not carrageenin-induced pleurisy. 5. This study suggests that Paf-acether-induced pleurisy in the rat may be mediated by lipoxygenase arachidonic acid metabolites and that pleurisy induced by zymosan, but not by carrageenin, is largely dependent upon Paf-acether.

Effect of BN 52021, a platelet activating factor antagonist, on experimental murine contact dermatitis

A specific platelet activating factor (PAF) receptor antagonist, BN 52021, was tested for its efficacy in modulating DNFB-induced allergic and croton oil-induced irritant contact dermatitis in mouse ears. Oral treatment of the animals in the elicitation phase of the dermatitis caused a significant suppression of DNFB-induced ear swelling. The compound was less active in croton oil-induced irritant dermatitis and ineffective when given during the sensitization phase of allergic dermatitis. The results provide indirect evidence for the involvement of PAF in the effector phase of murine contact dermatitis of the allergic type and also the irritant type to a lesser extent.

Ketoconazole, leukotrienes, Paf-acether and nicotine as a hapten: the possible aetiology of seborrhoeic dermatitis

There is evidence in some individuals that seborrhoeic dermatitis is an immuno-allergic reaction induced by nicotine as hapten. Nicotine is present in passive smoking, botanic areas, some foods at very low levels, smokeless tobacco and chewing gums. The successful use of topical ketoconazole as an anti-fungal treatment has been recently explained by its anti-leukotrienes properties in vitro, in vivo and by its capacity to inhibit the leukotrienes-mediated anaphylactic bronchoconstriction in the guinea-pigs. The occurrence of hypersensitivity to nicotine in seborrhoeic dermatitis remains to be determined, but an other original view is open for a better comprehension of an old disease.