Influence of antirheumatic drugs on nitric oxide and interleukin 8 production in human articular chondrocytes.

To determine whether antirheumatic drugs can inhibit chondrocyte nitric oxide and interleukin 8 (IL-8) production. IL-1beta stimulated human chondrocytes were incubated with indomethacin, methotrexate, sulfasalazine, dexamethasone, and methylprednisolone. Nitric oxide was detected as nitrite; IL-8 was detected by a radioimmunoassay method. Nitric oxide production was partly (< or = 50%) inhibited and IL-8 almost completely suppressed (> 80%) by dexamethasone and methylprednisolone. Sulfasalazine in pharmacological concentration and indomethacin slightly increased IL-8. No effect of methotrexate on nitric oxide or IL-8 production was found. Dexamethasone and methylprednisolone are inhibitors of human chondrocyte nitric oxide production, although to a lesser extent than for IL-8 production. Indomethacin, sulfasalazine, and methotrexate had no major influence on these mediators.