title: The effects of mycophenolate mofetil on encapsulated peritoneal sclerosis model in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Encapsulated peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a devastating complication of peritoneal dialysis. We aimed to investigate the effects of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) treatment in experimental EPS in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  40 nonuremic Wistar albino rats were divided equally into 4 groups: control rats received 2 ml isotonic saline intraperitoneally daily for 3 weeks without any other treatment. The chlorhexidine gluconate group received intraperitoneally 2 ml/200 g injection of chlorhexidine gluconate and ethanol dissolved in saline for 3 weeks. The resting group received chlorhexidine gluconate (0 - 3rd week) + peritoneal resting (4th - 6th week). The MMF group received chlorhexidine gluconate (0 - 3rd week) + 125 mg/l MMF in drinking water (4th - 6th week). Dialysate cytokine levels, leukocyte count, peritoneal thickness, inflammation and fibroblast activities were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the MMF and resting groups showed beneficial effects on ultrafiltration and D1/D0 glucose compared to the chlorhexidine gluconate group, only MMF treatment improved dialysate TGFβ1, VEGF and MCP-1 levels compared to the resting group. Inflammatory activity and vascularity observed in a tissue biopsy, including capillaries number per mm2 of submesothelial area, decreased in the treatment group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MMF treatment has beneficial effects on EPS via inhibiting inflammation and neovascularisation by reducing dialysate VEGF overexpression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey. hurender@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ender
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hur
authors.forename: Devrim
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.forename: Ozge
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Timur
authors.forename: Selahattin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bicak
authors.forename: Banu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sarsik
authors.forename: Fehmi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akcicek
authors.forename: Soner
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D056627:Peritoneal Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; C491766:Ccl2 protein, rat; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467498:vascular endothelial growth factor A, rat; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid