Effect of lidocaine on oxidative activity of peripheral blood phagocytes

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by leukocytes can cause damage to intrinsic tissues. The pathogenesis of sepsis is based on an excessive inflammatory response of the body. Several studies have reported the inhibitory effect of lidocaine on neutrophilic granulocytes.
 AIM: This study aimed to analyze the effect of lidocaine on the oxidative activity of phagocytes.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood from 16 healthy donors was used in this study. Leukocyte mass was extracted using spontaneous sedimentation. Half of the leukocyte samples were incubated in buffered physiological saline with lidocaine. The other half of the leukocyte samples were incubated in physiological saline without lidocaine. The generation of ROS was studied using two methods. Method 1 included a nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) test), which is based on the ability of ROS to reduce NBT to insoluble diformazan. Method 2 was based on the chemiluminescence reaction. A culture of S. Aureus was used to induce the production of ROS.
 RESULTS: NBT test revealed a decrease in the oxidative activity of leukocytes in the presence of lidocaine by 18% (p 0.05). The study of luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of leukocyte suspension in the presence of lidocaine revealed a significant 2-fold decrease in both spontaneous and stimulated respiratory activity of cells.
 CONCLUSIONS: After incubation with lidocaine, phagocytes generated ROS to a significantly lower extent. However, their complete blockade was not recorded. This property of lidocaine may be used in clinical practice to treat an excessive inflammatory response in sepsis.