Studies on Antinephritic Effect of TJ-8014, a New Japanese Herbal Medicine (4): Effects on Accelerated Passive Heymann Nephritis in Rats

抄録

We investigated the antinephritic effect of TJ-8014, in comparison to dipyridamole, on accelerated passive Heymann nephritis in rats. TJ-8014 (4.0 g/kg/day, p.o.) given from the heterologous phase (from the day of injection of the antiserum against Fx1A) markedly inhibited the urinary protein excretion and the elevation of plasma cholesterol levels as well as glomerular histopathologica changes. When the treatment was started from the autologous phase (from the 22nd day) after proteinuria was fully developed, TJ-8014 also showed a beneficia effect. Dipyridamole (0.4 g/kg/day, p.o.) had no effect when the treatment was started either from the heterologous or autologous phase. TJ-8014 decreasec glomerular rat IgG and rat C₃ deposits, although it affected neither the plasma antibody titer against rabbit γ-globulin nor the plasma complement level. TJ-8014 markedly prevented the reduction of plasma and adrenal corticosterone level as well as the reduction of renal blood flow of rats with nephritis. These result suggest that TJ-8014 may be a useful drug against idiopathic membranous nephro pathy and the beneficial effect of this drug may be caused by the elimination of glomerular immune deposits and C₃ through the increase in renal blood flow related to the enhanced release of adrenal corticosterone.