Inhaled long-acting ß2 agonists enhance glucocorticoid receptor nuclear translocation and efficacy in sputum macrophages in COPD.

BACKGROUND: Combination inhaled therapy with long-acting ß2 agonists (LABAs) and corticosteroids is beneficial in treating asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). OBJECTIVE: In asthma, LABAs enhance glucocorticoid receptor (GR) nuclear translocation in the presence of corticosteroids. Whether this biological mechanism occurs in COPD, a relatively corticosteroid-resistant disease, is uncertain. METHODS: Eight patients with mild/moderate COPD participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study and inhaled single doses of fluticasone propionate (FP) 100 µg, FP 500 µg, salmeterol xinafoate (SLM) 50 µg, and combination FP 100 µg + SLM 50 µg. One hour postinhalation, sputum was induced, nuclear proteins isolated from purified macrophages, and levels of activated nuclear GR quantified by using a GR-glucocorticoid response element ELISA-based assay. RESULTS: Nuclear GR significantly increased after the inhalation of FP 500 µg (P < .01), but not after the inhalation of FP 100 µg or SLM 50 µg, compared with placebo. Interestingly, SLM in combination with FP 100 µg increased nuclear GR levels equivalent to those of FP 500 µg alone. This was significantly greater than either FP 100 µg (P < .05) or SLM 50 µg (P < .01) alone. In vitro in a human macrophage cell line, SLM (10(-8) mol/L) enhanced FP (10(-9) mol/L)-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 mRNA (5.8 ± 0.6 vs 8.4 ± 1.1 × 10(-6) copies, P < .05) and 2 × glucocorticoid response element-luciferase reporter gene activity (250.1 ± 15.6 vs 103.1 ± 23.6-fold induction, P < .001). Addition of SLM (10(-9) mol/L) to FP (10(-11) mol/L) significantly enhanced FP-mediated suppression of IL-1ß-induced CXCL8 (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Addition of SLM 50 µg to FP 100 µg enhanced GR nuclear translocation equivalent to that seen with a 5-fold higher dose of FP in sputum macrophages from patients with COPD. This may account for the superior clinical effects of combination LABA/corticosteroid treatment compared with either as monotherapy observed in COPD.

Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors augment the ability of formoterol to enhance glucocorticoid-dependent gene transcription in human airway epithelial cells: a novel mechanism for the clinical efficacy of roflumilast in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Post-hoc analysis of two phase III clinical studies found that the phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor, roflumilast, reduced exacerbation frequency in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who were taking inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) concomitantly, whereas patients not taking ICS derived no such benefit. In contrast, in two different trials also performed in patients with severe COPD, roflumilast reduced exacerbation rates in the absence of ICS, indicating that PDE4 inhibition alone is sufficient for therapeutic activity to be realized. Given that roflumilast is recommended as an "add-on" medication to patients with severe disease who will inevitably be taking a long-acting ß2-adrenoceptor agonist (LABA)/ICS combination therapy, we tested the hypothesis that roflumilast augments the ability of glucocorticoids to induce genes with anti-inflammatory activity. Using a glucocorticoid response element (GRE) luciferase reporter transfected into human airway epithelial cells [both bronchial epithelium + adenovirus 12 - SV40 hybrid (BEAS-2B) cells and primary cultures], roflumilast enhanced fluticasone propionate-induced GRE-dependent transcription. Roflumilast also produced a sinistral displacement of the concentration-response curves that described the augmentation of GRE-dependent transcription by the LABA formoterol. In BEAS-2B cells and primary airway epithelia, roflumilast interacted with formoterol in a positive cooperative manner to enhance the expression of several glucocorticoid-inducible genes that have anti-inflammatory potential. We suggest that the ability of roflumilast and formoterol to interact in this way supports the concept that these drugs together may impart clinical benefit beyond that achievable by an ICS alone, a PDE4 inhibitor alone, or an ICS/LABA combination therapy. Roflumilast may, therefore, be especially effective in patients with severe COPD.