Pentoxifylline inhibits mediator synthesis in an equine in vitro whole blood model of endotoxemia.

Whole blood from 10 healthy horses was aseptically collected into heparin or citrate anticoagulant and incubated in vitro for 6 hr in the absence (saline control) or presence of 1 ng endotoxin/ml blood. Pentoxifylline (0.1, 1, 10, or 100 micrograms/ml blood) was added 1 hr before, at the same time, or 1 hr after endotoxin. As compared to saline controls, pentoxifylline alone had no effect on mediator production, with the exception of significantly increasing 6-ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha concentration. Pentoxifylline inhibited endotoxin-induced increases in tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) activity in a dose-related fashion, whether added before, at the same time, or after endotoxin. Pentoxifylline significantly inhibited tissue factor activity, but only when added before endotoxin. Pentoxifylline had no effect on endotoxin-induced 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha production, but significantly inhibited thromboxane B2 (TxB2) production. The results of this study indicate that pentoxifylline, at blood concentrations consistent with those achieved in vivo, has effects that may be beneficial in the treatment of endotoxemia.