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EFFECT OF APOPTOZOLE ON CIRCULATING CYTOKINE LEVELS: AN EX VIVO WHOLE BLOOD STIMULATION STUDY

GHADA A. ALOTAIBI, JAWAHER ALSUGHAYYIR, MOHAMMAD A. ALFHILI *

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Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) possesses immunomodulatory properties with potential therapeutic relevance. This study investigated the effect of apoptozole (AZL), a novel HSP70 inhibitor, on peripheral blood immune responses. Whole blood from healthy volunteers was challenged ex vivo with 1 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or 1 mM acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) with or without 50 μM AZL, for 24 h at 37oC. Plasma cytokines and soluble immune markers were measured by ELISA. LPS markedly increased TNFα and IL-8, with no significant modification by AZL. ASA significantly increased IL-8, an effect attenuated by AZL co-treatment. In contrast, combined ASA and AZL selectively elevated soluble CD64. No appreciable changes were observed in IL-1β, IL-10, IL-20, or soluble CD206. Collectively, AZL exerted limited effects on LPS-induced responses but selectively modulated IL-8 and soluble CD64 levels under ASA exposure. The context-dependent immunomodulatory effects of AZL on immune cell activation and adhesion warrant further mechanistic investigation.