Autologous immune complex glomerulonephritis induces abnormal embryonic development.
Young female random-bred Wistar rats were immunized with homologous renal brush border membranes. The immunized animals exhibited all the clinical and immunopathological characteristics of chronic autologous immune complex glomerulonephritis (Heymann nephritis) closely resembling the idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis in humans. The animals were subsequently mated. Congenital malformations and fetal growth retardation were observed in the offspring of the nephritic mothers; high incidence of embryonic/fetal resorptions was also observed. The types of anomalies were microphthalmia, cataractic lens, abnormal retina, micrognathia, cleft palate, lordosis, fetal edema, variable hemorrhage, omphalocele, syndactaly and cryptochidism. The most frequently observed anomaly was associated with the eye. Immunofluorescent studies indicated that no rat IgG was detected in the extraembryonic membranes, embryo or fetuses. Rat complement C3 was also absent around the conceptuses. The pathophysiologic mechanism leading to such deleterious embryonic/fetal effect is not clear.
Department of Anatomy, New Jersey Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark 07103.
C C
CC
Leung
C L
CL
Yan
B
B
Cheewatrakoolpong
D000818:Animals; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000209:etiology*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010455:Peptides; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000209:etiology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains / Q000196:embryology*
D010455:Peptides; C010169:glucose utilization inhibitor