title: Prostaglandin E treatment of NZB/NZW mice.
abstract: NZB/NZW F1 hybrid mice were treated with pharmacologic doses of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) (200 microng subcutaneously either once or twice daily) from 6 through 52 weeks of age. PGE1-treated mice were protected against development anemia, clinical nephritis, and death. At 52 weeks 18 of 19 treated mice were alive, wherase only 2 of 19 untretreated control mice were alive. None of the 10 mice treated with PGE1 twice daily exhibited significant (greater than 2+) proteinuria at 1 year of age. PGE1 treatment did not prevent development of antibodies to nuclear antigens. The data also suggest that survival of NZB/NZW mice is prolonged when treatment with PGE1 is begun at 24 weeks, an age at which mice already show evidence of nephritis. Thus all 6 mice treated with PGE1 (200 microng sc twice daily) from 24 weeks were alive at 52 weeks, whereas only 2 of 6 untreated control mice were alive. The mechanisms whereby PGE1 treatment influences the course of disease in NZB/NZW mice are not known.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000032:analysis; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007109:Immunity; D051379:Mice; D008814:Mice, Inbred NZB; D009000:Monocytes; D009393:Nephritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D011458:Prostaglandins E / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D011458:Prostaglandins E; D004247:DNA