A comparative study of the effects of meloxicam and flunixin meglumine (NSAIDs) as adjunctive therapy on interferon and tumor necrosis factor production in calves suffering from enzootic bronchopneumonia

Pol J Vet Sci. 2003;6(2):109-15.

Abstract

The study was performed on 18 Black-and-White Lowland Breed calves with clinical signs of enzootic bronchopneumonia divided into three groups and respectively treated with oxytetracycline and meloxicam--Group I (9 animals); oxytetracycline and flunixin meglumine--Group II (3 animals); and oxytetracycline only--Group III (6 animals--control). The following observations were recorded before treatment (1st day) and two days later (3rd day): body temperature, the serum level of interferon (IFN) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) as well as cytokine production by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells. The treatment of calves with a combination of oxytetracycline and meloxicam (Group I) and especially with oxytetracycline and flunixin meglumine (Group II) caused a significantly faster, in comparison to the control group, normalization of body temperature. Both drugs, meloxicam and especially flunixin meglumine, inhibited excessive TNF production in the organism (measured as the serum level of cytokine). Moreover, BAL cells isolated from calves treated with both NSAIDs were still able, ex vivo, to release TNF, in contrast to the control group (treated only with tetracycline) which lost the ability to produce TNF. The treatment of the calves with meloxicam and flunixin meglumine did not significantly influence the levels of IFN in sera but normalized ex vivo IFN production in BAL cells. These results suggest that the combination of meloxicam with an antibiotic or flunixin meglumine with an antibiotic which does not exert an immunosuppressive influence on the organism of calves suffering from enzootic bronchopneumonia is equally effective in the treatment of calves and superior to the antibiotic alone.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / administration & dosage
  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / therapeutic use*
  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / administration & dosage
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / therapeutic use*
  • Body Temperature
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / cytology
  • Bronchopneumonia / drug therapy
  • Bronchopneumonia / veterinary*
  • Cattle
  • Cattle Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Cattle Diseases / immunology
  • Cattle Diseases / pathology
  • Clonixin / administration & dosage
  • Clonixin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Clonixin / therapeutic use*
  • Injections, Intravenous / veterinary
  • Interferons / blood
  • Meloxicam
  • Thiazines / administration & dosage
  • Thiazines / therapeutic use*
  • Thiazoles / administration & dosage
  • Thiazoles / therapeutic use*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
  • Thiazines
  • Thiazoles
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • flunixin meglumine
  • Interferons
  • Clonixin
  • Meloxicam