Effect of a thromboxane synthetase inhibitor on eicosanoid synthesis and glomerular injury during acute unilateral glomerulonephritis in the rat

Abstract

Eicosanoid synthesis was studied in a model of in situ glomerulonephritis (gn) in the rat. Unilateral gn was induced by perfusion of left kidneys with 200 micrograms cationized human IgG followed by intravenous (i.v.) autologous anti-human IgG antiserum. Rats developed proteinuria in the first 24 hours and hypercellular gn with leukocyte infiltration in the left kidney. Synthesis of thromboxane B2 (TXB2), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and 6-ketoprostaglandin F 1 alpha(6-keto-PGF 1 alpha) was measured at 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours in isolated glomeruli by radioimmunoassay. In nephritic glomeruli there was a nine-fold rise in TXB2 at six hours (5.35 ng/mg glomerular protein) when compared to control (0.6 ng/mg). TXB2 was still elevated at 24 hours (2.7 +/- 1 ng/mg; control 0.7 +/- 0.2 ng/mg). There were no consistent changes in PGE2 or 6-keto-PGF 1 alpha. No changes were found in right kidneys of nephritic or control rats. Treatment of nephritic rats with a selective thromboxane synthetase inhibitor, dazmegrel (20 mg/kg 8 hourly intraperitoneally), suppressed glomerular TXB2 at 24 hours. TXB2 was also inhibited in right (non-nephritic) kidneys and serum. Dazmegrel did not inhibit proteinuria or glomerular hypercellularity. We conclude there is a major increase in glomerular TXB2 in this model which does not play an essential role in the development of proteinuria or cellular infiltration.