Abstract

The chemical reactivity of acyl glucuronide (AG) has been thought to be associated with the toxic properties of drugs containing carboxylic acid moieties, but there has been no direct evidence showing that AG formation is related to the observed toxicity. In the present study, the cytotoxicity of AGs, especially that associated with the inflammatory response, was investigated. The changes in the mRNA and protein expression levels of interleukin 8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) induced by the treatment of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with diclofenac (Dic), probenecid (Pro), tolmetin (Tol), ibuprofen (Ibu), naproxen (Nap), and their AGs were investigated by real-time RT-PCR, and the viabilities of CD3⁺, CD14⁺, and CD19⁺ cells were measured by flow cytometry. Treatment with Dic-AG, Pro-AG, and Tol-AG significantly increased the expression levels of IL-8 and MCP-1. In addition, Dic-AG, Pro-AG, and Tol-AG significantly decreased the viability of CD14+ cells. Of these three AGs, Dic-AG showed the most potent changes, followed by Tol-AG and Pro-AG. Treatment with Ibu-AG and Nap-AG affected neither the expression levels of IL-8 and MCP-1 nor the viability of CD14⁺ cells. None of the drugs affected the CD3+ and CD19+ cell populations. Dic-AG increased the phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase and JNK1/2. The pretreatment of PBMCs with SB203580 (p38 inhibitor) significantly suppressed the Dic-AG-induced expression of inflammatory factors and cytotoxicity of CD14⁺ cells. In conclusion, AGs induce inflammatory responses and cytotoxicity against CD14⁺ cells via the p38 MAPK pathway. These factors may be useful biomarkers for evaluating the toxicity of AGs.