EFFECTS OF OXYPHENBUTAZONE (TANDEARIL) ON PLASMA SEROMUCOIDS .1. IN EXPERIMENTAL INFLAMMATION

Abstract

Some metabolic aspects of seromucoids in inflammation were elucidated by the use of oxyphenbutazone (OPB), a potent anti-inflammatory drug whose mode of action is fundamentally different from that of corti-costeroids. Inflammation was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of 3 ml of 1% formaldehyde. This resulted in an immediate and remarkable increase in the plasma seromucoid level, which persisted for 23 days. The subcutaneous injection of OPB (100 mg/kg), 6 hours after formaldehyde treatment, significantly lowered plasma seromucoids. The decrease was more pronounced when the same dosage of OPB was administered 24 hours before formaldehyde injection. However, no effects were detected with single or repeated injections of OPB in a dosage of 50 mg/kg. Furthermore, the plasma seromucoid levels of normal rats were uninfluenced by OPB. From these results, it was postulated that some mediating or stimulating factor was released at the site of injury that was responsible for the increased synthesis of seromucoids and that was inhibited in OPB. The lowering effect of OPB was in contrast to the action of ACTH and cortisone, which do not alter the increased plasma level of seromucoids. These results further confirm that plasma seromucoid regulation is independent of the pituitary-adrenal mechanism.