Antimalarial drugs inhibit phospholipase A2 activation and induction of interleukin 1β and tumor necrosis factor α in macrophages:: Implications for their mode of action in rheumatoid arthritis

1. The effects of antimalarial drugs on the intracellular signaling leading to activation of the phospholipase C and phospholipase A(2) pathways and the induction of proinflammatory cytokines have been studied in mouse macrophages. 2. Both chloroquine and quinacrine, and to a lesser extent hydroxychloroquine, inhibited arachidonate release and eicosanoid formation induced by phorbol diester. This inhibition was due to that of the activation of the arachidonate-mobilizing phospholipase A(2). 3. All three antimalarials potently inhibited arachidonate release induced by zymosan. They also inhibited the zymosan-induced formation of inositol phosphates, which hints that an inhibitory effect at the phospholipase C level might explain the inhibition of the response to zymosan. 4. Quinacrine, and to a lesser extent chloroquine, has an inhibitory effect on the lipopolysaccharide- or zymosan-induced expression of interleukin 1 beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha, both at the mRNA and protein levels. This, in particular, has important implications for the mode of action of these compounds in rheumatoid arthritis. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.