SUMMARYInterleukin-8 (IL-8) is regarded as an important mediator of inflammation because of its potent and specific chemotactic activity on neutrophils. In the present investigation, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) stimulated with thrombin were found to produce IL-8, in a dose-and timedependent manner. After stimulation with 10 U/ml thrombin for 24 hr, the level of IL-8 in the conditioned medium was 14 ng/ml, or enough to elicit PMN chemotaxis in vitro. Northern blot analysis revealed that thrombin as well as IL-1b elevates the level of IL-8 mRNA preceding the formation of IL-8 protein.A synthetic peptide SFLLRN [human thrombin receptor-activating peptide (TRAP)] was found to mimic the action of thrombin. Preincubation with anti-thrombin compounds such as hirudin and antithrombin-III-heparin almost completely suppressed the action of thrombin without affecting the actions of other stimuli including IL-1b, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and TRAP. Diisopropylfluorophosphate-treated thrombin did not stimulate IL-8 production. Calphostin-C, a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, attenuated the production of IL-8 by thrombin, TRAP and PMA, but left the action of IL-1b unchanged. These results strongly suggest that catalytic activation of thrombin receptor by thrombin results in PKC-dependent IL-8 production accompanied by an increase in IL-8 mRNA level.

Interactions between carnosine (b-alanyl-L-histidine), being plentiful in skeletal muscles and neuronal tissues, and captopril, a widely used angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, were examined concerning free radical scavenging activity and ACE activity in vitro. Not only captopril, but also carnosine, at concentrations less than those ordinarily found in muscles and neuronal tissues, signiˆcantly scavenged 2,2′ -azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) radical cations, and inhibited ACE activity. Cupric ions reversed the ABTS scavenging activity of carnosine and captopril, whereas cupric ions strengthened the inhibitory action of carnosine on ACE activity. In contrast, cupric ions antagonized the inhibition of ACE activity induced by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, indicating that the inhibitory eŠect of carnosine on ACE activity is not related to the chelating action of carnosine. On the other hand, carnosine and captopril synergistically enhanced the free radical scavenging activity, but not the inhibitory eŠect on the ACE activity. These data suggest that carnosine in its concurrent use with captopril could act as a beneˆcial free radical scavenger, with less danger of overdose, in the inhibition of ACE activity.

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