The Effects of Some Non-steroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs on Human Granulopoiesis In Vitro

Abstract

By measuring colony forming units in culture (CFU-C), the effects of the non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs indoprofen (24mg/1; 39μM), indomethacin (24mg/1; 67μM), and phenylbutazone (12mg/l; 39μM) on human granulopoiesis in vitro were compared with those of chloramphenicol (57mg/l; 176μM) in 18 bone marrow samples. Inhibitions of 10–92% (median 54%) for indoprofen, -13–86% (median 34%) for ibuprofen, 0–86% (median 42%) for indomethacin and -26–75% (median 3%) for phenylbutazone were observed, with chloramphenicol showing inhibitions of 11–100% (median 70%). A further patient, who had developed agranulocytosis during indoprofen treatment, subsequently showed no greater sensitivity to that drug in vitro than the other patients studied. This in vitro technique may be useful in Phase I studies on new drugs.