Evaluation of the immunomodulatory activity of meloxicam in vitro and in vivo

Purpose: To demonstrate the immunomodulatory activity of meloxicam based on cellular and humoral immune responses and in mice.Methods: Cyclophosphamide-induced neutropenia assay and delayed-type hypersensitivity assay (DTH) were carried out to assess cellular immunity. In addition, mouse lethality and haemagglutination assays were carried out to investigate humoral immunity. Meloxicam was administered intraperitoneally in two doses, i.e., 5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg to mice.Results: Cyclophosphamide-induced neutropenia assay data showed a significant decline in differential leukocyte count (DLC) and total leukocytes count (TLC) in the meloxicam administered groups when compared with control group (p < 0.05). In DTH test, meloxicam showed a significant reduction in skin thickness against dinitrochlorobenzene than the control group, respectively (p < 0.05). A significant dose-dependent decline in antibody titre in the meloxicam-treated groups was observed (p < 0.05), while a gradual decrease in antibody titre occurred with increasing dose. However, there was significant rise in mortality ratio with increasing dose of meloxicam (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The results indicate that meloxicam has immunosuppressive activity in mice, and therefore, can potentially be developed for use in countering organ transplant rejection.