Flupentixol and trifluperidol reduce interleukin-1 beta and interleukin-2 release by rat mixed glial and microglial cell cultures.

Neuroleptics penetrate into the brain, where they act not only on neurons but probably also on glial cells. In the available literature, there are no reports on the effect of neuroleptics on cytokine release in glia cultures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of neuroleptics on the release of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta and IL-2) by mixed glial and microglial cell cultures. Trifluperidol at 20 and 2 muM reduced IL-beta secretion by mixed glial cultures after 3 days of exposure. Trifluperidol at 20, 2 and 0.2 muM diminished IL-beta secretion after 1 day of incubation. Trifluperidol at 20 and 2 muM reduced IL-2 release after 1 and 3 days of exposure. Flupentixol at 20 and 2 muM reduced IL-1beta by mixed glial cell cultures after 3 days of exposure. Flupentixol at 20, 2 and 0.2 muM caused diminution of IL-1beta release after 1 day of exposure. Flupentixol at 20 and 2 muM reduced IL-2 release after 1 day of incubation. Flupentixol at 20, 2 and 0.2 muM diminished IL-2 release after 3 days of exposure. Flupentixol at 20, 10, 2 and 0.2 muM reduced IL-1beta release by microgial cell cultures. Flupentixol at 20, 10 and 2 muM reduced release of IL-2 by microglial cells after 1 day of exposure. The results of the present study suggest that neuroleptics have an inhibiting effect on the release of glial cytokines, but clinical significance this results remains to be elucidated.