Effect of azelastine on PGE2 production in fibroblasts in normal skin. The possibility of inhibition of inducible cyclooxygenase by azelastine.

The effects of azelastine on prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production were investigated by using cultured normal dermal fibroblasts obtained from the same traumatic region of 3 patients and the CRL-1475 cell line. Interleukin-1beta (IL-1) enhanced PGE2 production in cultured normal fibroblasts and CRL-1475 cells. 10(-6) M azelastine inhibited PGE2 production in these IL-1-stimulated fibroblasts. However, the drug did not influence spontaneous PGE2 production in cultured CRL-1475 fibroblasts not stimulated with IL-1 but slightly it increased in cultured normal dermal fibroblasts under the same conditions. These results suggest that azelastine either regulates synthesis of an inducible cyclooxygenose protein or inhibits PGE2 production as an inducible cyclooxygenase inhibitor.