The glutathione depleting agent diethylmaleate prolongs renal allograft survival.
BACKGROUND
Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) plays an important role in mediating allograft rejection through its role in cellular trafficking and as an important costimulatory signal mediating T cell activation. We have previously reported that systemic administration of the glutathione (GSH) depleting agent diethylmaleate (DEM) prevents upregulation of ICAM-1 in various inflammatory models, suggesting that this agent may offer benefit in preventing allograft rejection. Thus we evaluated the effects of DEM in a murine model of renal transplantation.


METHODS
Kidneys from C57BL/6 mice were transplanted into MHC incompatible C3H mice. Donors were treated with DEM 1 h prior to sacrifice, whereas recipients received DEM 1 h following transplantation. Animals were followed until the time of death. In separate studies, renal ICAM-1 mRNA expression was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction and the CD4(+) T cell cytokine profile evaluated in a mixed lymphocyte reaction using C3H responder splenocytes and C57BL/6 stimulator cells.


RESULTS
Pretreatment with DEM increased survival from 18.9 +/- 3.6 to 30.6 +/- 10 days (P < 0.05). This increase in survival was associated with a reduction in renal ICAM-1 mRNA expression. Mixed lymphocyte cultures derived from animals pretreated with DEM demonstrated a reduction in the Th1 cytokines IFN-gamma and IL-2 and an increase in the Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-10.


CONCLUSIONS
Administration of DEM with consequent systemic GSH depletion significantly reduces allograft ICAM-1 expression and prolongs graft survival. Although speculative, a shift from a Th1 to a Th2 cytokine response raises the possibility that tolerance induction plays a role in prolonged allograft survival.
The Toronto Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5G 2C4, Canada.
A B
AB
Nathens
O D
OD
Rotstein
J J
JJ
Jones
A P
AP
Dackiw
R
R
Gorczynski
D000818:Animals; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008298:Maleates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
D016207:Cytokines; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D008298:Maleates; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D016572:Cyclosporine; C014476:diethyl maleate; D005978:Glutathione