漢防己甲素和methotrexate對第一介白質(IL-1)產生及活性影響之研究

The effect of tetrandrine and methotrexate on the production and activity of interleukin 1

類風濕性關節炎的發病機轉至今未明，但近年來認為和第一介白質 （Interleukin-l，簡稱IL-1）可能有關，所以研究抗類風濕藥對於IL-1之產生和活性之影響對於闡明藥物作用很有意義。本文擬研究中藥漢防己所提出之生物鹼Tetrandrine（免疫抗炎抑制藥）對人單核球產生IL-1以及對IL-1活性之影響，前者採用ELISA法後者以對鼠胸腺細胞增殖之影響進行測定；並同時用相同方法觀察免疫抑制藥methotrexate對IL-1產生和活性之影響，以茲對比。研究結果發現tetrandrine對IL-1之產生和活性皆有顯著之抑制作用；而methotrexate對IL-1之產生無抑制作用，對IL-1之活性雖有抑制作用，但較tetrandrine為弱。

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammation and articular chronic destructive changes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA); analyzing the effect of antirheumatic drugs on IL-1 production and activity is of great importance in exploring the therapeutic mechanism in RA. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of tetrandrine (an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drug from the tuberous root of the creeper Stephania tetrandra S Moore) on the production of IL-1 by human monocytes and on IL-1 activity measured by its effect on the proliferation of murine thymocytes; and to investigate the effect of methotrexate (an immunosuppressive drug) on IL-1 production and activity at the same time and using the same method as tetrandrine. The results showed that tetrandrine significantly inhibited both IL-1 production and IL-1 activity; while methotrexate inhibited IL-1 activity without affecting IL-1 production.