Glucocorticoid effects on the uptake of antibiotics by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

The effects of glucocorticoids on the uptake of 8 antibiotics by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), and the subsequent bactericidal activity of PMNs with 5 of the antibiotics, were examined. The experiments demonstrated that a synthetic glucocorticoid, methylprednisolone at a concentration of more than 50 mg/I, inhibited the uptake of clindamycin, erythromycin and josamycin, but didn't inhibit the uptake of rifampicin, ofloxacin, chloramphenicol and rokitamycin. The bactericidal activity of PMNs with or without antibiotics was also affected by the presence of methylprednisolone.