Down Regulation of IL-13 Secretion in Mononuclear Cells by a Beta-Adrenergic Blocker

Background: Beta-adrenergic blockers such as propranolol have been commonly used for treatment of several cardiovascular complications such as arterial hypertension and arrhythmias. Anti-inflammatory effects of propranolol have also been reported. Interleukin-13(IL-13) (a Th2-type cytokine) is a mediator of airway inflammation and increases in immediate-type allergy. In this study the effect of propranolol on IL-13 secretion in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMCs) have been investigated in vitro.

Methods: HPBMCs were used in this study. The cells were cultured in complete RPMI medium and then incubated with different concentrations of propranolol (4 ×10^-7 - 4 ×10^-4 M⁾ for 24 hours. The level of IL-13 secreted in the cell culture supernatants was measured with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits (R&D systems).

Results: Propranolol significantly and dose-dependently reduced IL-13 production in hPBMCs, compared to untreated control cells.

Conclusions: According to the results of this study, propranolol considerably decreased the IL-13 expression in hPBMCs. Propranolol with its inhibitory effect on IL-13 production may be useful in alleviating the IL-13- induced respiratory inflammation in related diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Therefore propranolol along with its chronic long-term usage in cardiac problems, might have potential implication in inflammatory disorders.