抗糸球体基底膜腎炎モデルラットにおける免疫抑制剤の効果の検討

抄録

Anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) nephritis, caused by the production of autoantibody against GBM, is characterized by rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. Novel agents which prevent the progression of anti-GBM nephritis are expected. The rat model induced by administration of anti-GBM antibody is considered as one of the useful experimental models of this disease. In the present study, effects of a typical immunosuppressive agent were evaluated using this model. The anti-GBM nephritis model was induced by single intravenous injection of anti-GBM antibody to male WKY rats on Day 0. As the treatment, cyclophosphamide (CYP) was orally administrated once daily from Day 0 to 27. The urine was collected on Day 7, 14, and 28. On Day 28, the kidney was harvested and wet weight was measured. In the nephritis group, the index of the score of occult hematuria was elevated. Moreover, the urinary protein excretion and the ratio of kidney weight to body weight were increased. In the CYP treated group, the urinary protein excretion level and the kidney weight ratio were significantly suppressed. These results suggest that the anti-GBM nephritis model is useful to evaluate the effects of the therapeutic agents. This model could contribute to the development of the novel agents of anti-GBM nephritis.