title: Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist halts the progression of established crescentic glomerulonephritis in the rat.
abstract: The pathogenic role of interleukin-1 (IL-1) in the progression of established rat crescentic glomerulonephritis was investigated by administration of the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra). Passive accelerated antiglomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease was induced in three groups of six rats. One group was killed on day 7 with no treatment. The other groups received a constant infusion of IL-1ra or saline from day 7 until being killed on day 21. All animals developed moderate glomerular injury, a significant loss of renal function and marked histological damage including crescent formation by day 7. Saline treated animals showed a significant deterioration in these parameters over days 7 to 21. In contrast, animals treated with the IL-1ra over this period showed stabilization of glomerular injury (protein-uria; P < 0.001) and a recovery of normal renal function (creatinine clearance; P < 0.05). Histologically, IL-1ra treatment suppressed glomerular cell proliferation (PCNA expression; P < 0.001) and significantly inhibited crescent formation (P < 0.005), glomerular sclerosis (P < 0.005), tubular atrophy (P < 0.05) and interstitial fibrosis (P < 0.05). A key finding was that IL-1ra treatment not only stopped renal leukocyte accumulation over days 7 to 21 (P < 0.01), but that treatment also suppressed immune activation of the infiltrate (P < 0.01). In conclusion, this study provides direct evidence that IL-1 plays a key role in the progressive/chronic phase of renal injury in experimental crescentic glomerulonephritis and indicates that IL-1ra treatment may be of therapeutic benefit in human rapidly progressive crescentic glomerulonephritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Nikolic-Paterson
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vannice
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Atkins
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D011507:Proteinuria; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: C507763:IL1RN protein, human; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D007375:Interleukin-1; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins; D014508:Urea; D003404:Creatinine