Effects of dietary modulations of protein intake on the progression of glomerulosclerosis in unilaterally nephrectomized rats with passive Heymann nephritis.
This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of dietary protein intake on renal function and pathology in unilaterally nephrectomized rats with passive Heymann nephritis (PHN). 60 Lewis rats were unilaterally nephrectomized and half of them were injected with anti-Fx1A antibody to induce PHN. The rats were divided into four groups of 15 rats each as follows: group A-high-protein diet (HPD 30%) and PHN, group B-high-protein diet (HPD 30%) with no PHN, group C-low-protein diet (LPD 6%) and PHN and group D-low-protein diet with no PHN. These rats were observed for a 30-week period. The rats in group A showed persistent massive proteinuria with eventual deterioration of renal functions. Renal pathology revealed severe glomerulosclerosis with interstitial changes. In addition, marked hypertrophy and hyperplasia of tubular cells were noted. The rats in group B showed only mild and segmental glomerulosclerosis without significant proteinuria and decreased renal functions. The rats in group C exhibited moderate proteinuria in the early experiment stages which completely remitted in the stages thereafter. Renal pathological changes included only deposition of immune complexes in the glomerular basement membrane (GBM). The rats in group D did not show any abnormalities both pathologically and functionally. From these results, HPD enhanced the permeability of GBM which had been already damaged immunologically, leading to glomerulosclerosis of high severity with deterioration of renal functions. On the contrary, LPD ameliorated those changes. Although the role of anti-Fx1A antibody in the pathogenesis of human membranous nephropathy has still been the subject of debate, it is possible that ad libitum ingestion of dietary protein will have adverse effects on the clinical course of human membranous nephropathy, especially in the reduced number of functional nephrons.
Kawaguchi
H
H
Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Tokyo Women's Medical College, Japan.
Yamaguchi
Y
Y
Hattori
M
M
Nagata
M
M
Nagata
M
M
Kohno
M
M
Itoh
K
K
D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D001835:Body Weight; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006984:Hypertrophy; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009392:Nephrectomy; D011507:Proteinuria; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew
D004044:Dietary Proteins; D003404:Creatinine