[The effect of tripterine in prevention of glomerulosclerosis in lupus nephritis mice].
OBJECTIVE
To study the protective effects of Tripterine on experimental lupus nephritis glomerulosclerosis.


METHODS
Different doses of Tripterine were injected peritoneally to BW F1 mice at different stages. 24-hour urine protein excretion, serum anti-dsDNA antibodies, renal pathology and RT-nested PCR were analyzed to study the preventive effects of Tripterine on LN glomerulosclerosis and its mechanisms.


RESULTS
(1) Tripterine suppressed the development of proteinuria, decreased the level of serum anti-dsDNA antibodies, reduced the expressions of collagen type IV, fibronectin, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, TGF-beta(1) and improved the expressions of MMP-1, -2 in the murine kidney. (2) The use of Tripterine before occurrence of proteinuria had more obvious protective effects than its use after the occurrence of proteinuria. (3) No significant difference was found between the 3 mg/kg/week Tripterine-treated-group and the 6 mg/kg/week Tripterine-treated-group. (4) No obvious change was observed in the expression of MMP-3.


CONCLUSIONS
Tripterine has a definite protective effect on glomerulosclerosis of the lupus murine model. The decrease of renal collagen type IV and fibronectin is probably due to its suppressive effect on the expressions of local TGF-beta(1) and TIMP-1, -2, and its improvement effect on the local expressions of MMP-1, -2. Tripterine may have no obvious influence on MMP-3 in this model.
Department of Nephorology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai 200065, China. chenxu01@yahoo.com
Chen
C
Xu
Zhaolong
Z
Wu
D000818:Animals; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005923:Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D011507:Proteinuria; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; C508961:Tgfb1 protein, mouse; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014315:Triterpenes; C050414:celastrol