Treatment of experimental nephrotic syndrome with artesunate.
The present study was designed to test the therapeutic effect of a new antimalarial drug, artesunate in experimental model of nephrotic syndrome. To induce this experimental model, Adriamycin was given once by a single intravenous injection (7.5 mg/kg) through the tail vein. Six days after injection of Adriamycin, therapeutic protocol was developed by intraperitoneally (IP) administration of 5 mg/kg artesunate (ARS). Total of IP injections were 14, of which 5 injections were made every day and 9 injections were carried out at regular 48-h intervals. Therapeutic protocol was terminated on day 28 and animals were killed on day 49. The results showed that treatment with ARS caused a significant reduction in the level of proteinuria, urine urea and urine sodium compared with nontreated controls. In addition, decrease in serum triglyceride and increase in the level of serum albumin was significant in treated group with ARS compared with nontreated controls. Moreover, treatment with ARS significantly reduced glomerular polymorphonuclear (PMN) and mononuclear cells infiltration, hypercellularity, karyorrhexis, wire loops, and hydropic change in capillary network within the renal cortex, as well as decreased hyalin casts. On the other hand, healthy controls receiving ARS showed a significant decrease in amounts of serum triglyceride, urine urea, and urine sodium and potassium compared with normal group. These data suggest that artesunate therapy can ameliorate proteinuria, and suppress the progression of glomerular lesions in experimental model of nephrotic syndrome; it may also be recommended as a lipid-lowering drug.
Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Alireza
A
Razavi
Hamid R
HR
Nouri
Farhad
F
Mehrabian
Abbas
A
Mirshafiey
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077332:Artesunate; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000633:toxicity; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012964:Sodium / Q000652:urine; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014508:Urea / Q000652:urine
D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D012709:Serum Albumin; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D014280:Triglycerides; D000077332:Artesunate; D004317:Doxorubicin; D014508:Urea; D012964:Sodium