title: Protective role of BCG in the rabbit model of mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis.
abstract: A study was designed to investigate whether BCG could play a protective role in a rabbit model of mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. Fifteen rabbits were immunised with multiple injections of bovine serum albumin and their mononuclear phagocytic system was depressed by endotoxin from E. coli. The rabbits were divided into two groups: Group 1 (n = 7) received intravenous BCG from 3 weeks prior to the pathogenic immunisation and until the end of this period; Group 2 (n = 8) acted as a control and received normal saline. In the BCG group circulating immune complex (CIC) titres were significantly reduced, rabbit IgG deposition in glomeruli was significantly less, and mean glomerular cell counts were significantly less than those in the control group. We conclude that BCG stimulates the mononuclear phagocytic system to remove CIC and reduce the deposition of immune complexes in glomeruli, thereby mitigating the inflammatory response.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Affiliated Hospital, Nantong Medical College, Jiangsu, Peoples Republic of China.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Z C
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000032:analysis; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002452:Cell Count; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015432:Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000652:urine; D011817:Rabbits; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D014508:Urea; D003404:Creatinine