title: Immunotherapy for experimental rat autoimmune thyroiditis using a novel immunosuppressant, FTY720.
abstract: While autoimmune disease needs to be continuously treated via long term, administration of immunosuppressants conventional immunotherapy using drugs such as cyclosporin and tacrolimus may cause adverse effects. Recently, a novel agent, FTY720, which was structurally modified from a natural product, has been shown to have a moderate and different immunosuppressive effect from conventional drugs. In this study, we examined the effect of FTY720 on experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT), which was induced in rats by neonatal thymectomy, followed by subsequent sublethal irradiation. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was measured before and at the end of drug therapy. Histological and hematological examinations were performed using the samples from sacrificed animals. High TSH levels in the animals returned to the normal range following treatment with FTY720. The severity of the thyroiditis was lower in the FTY720 group than in the control group. FTY720 markedly decreased the number of circulatory lymphocytes, and no infections episodes were observed under this treatment. Thus, FTY720 treatment might be preferred for continuous immunotherapy for autoimmune disease without adverse effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Omiya Medical Center, Jichi Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hozumi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fujimura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D000068876:Fingolimod Hydrochloride; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011409:Propylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011409:Propylene Glycols; D013972:Thyrotropin; D000068876:Fingolimod Hydrochloride; D013110:Sphingosine