The recruitment and activation of peripheral blood monocytes are potentially critical regulatory events for the control of inflammation. Increased levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 have been reported in several inflammatory disorders. In this study, we examined the effect of lidocaine on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated MCP-1 secretion and MCP-1 induced chemotaxis in a human monocytic cell line, THP-1. Lidocaine inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced MCP-1 production as well as messenger RNA expression in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, we demonstrated that lidocaine suppressed MCP-1-induced chemotaxis and peak cytosolic-free calcium in THP-1 cells. These results suggest that lidocaine may modulate MCP-1 production and MCP-1-induced activation in inflammatory cells.
Implications: Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) plays important roles in the inflammatory processes. Lidocaine may modulate MCP-1-induced monocyte response, as reflected by chemotaxis, cytosolic-free calcium, and lipopolysaccharide-induced MCP-1 production by human monocytic THP-1 cells.