Immunomodulating effects of cefodizime on Klebsiella pneumoniae-stimulated neutrophils

To explore the immunoregulating effects of cefodizime on neutrophils and its mechanisms, we detected the expression of some cytokines secreted by neutrophils after heat-killed Klebsiella pneumoniae induced inflammation. We analyzed the changes of signal transduction in this process by detecting the mRNA expression of toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) and the inhibitor factor of κBα (I-κBα) expressed by neutrophils. The activity of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) in neutrophils was also assayed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). We found cefodizime increased neutrophil production of TNF-α, IL-1in the early stage of inflammation, which was in agreement with the enhanced mRNA expression of TLR4 and DNA-binding activity of NF-κB. Taken together, the immunomodulating effects of cefodizime on cytokine production of K. pneumoniae stimulated neutrophils is possibly due to its regulation of TLR4 mRNA expression and DNA binding activities of NF-κB through the LPS-TLR4-NF-κB pathway.