title: Immunoglobulin treatment ameliorates myocardial injury in experimental autoimmune myocarditis associated with suppression of reactive oxygen species.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We tested the hypothesis that immunoglobulin ameliorated experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) in mice attributing to the suppression of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated myocardial injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  We intraperitoneally administered intact type of human immunoglobulin (Ig) or F(ab')2 fragments of human immunoglobulin, 1g/kg/day daily for 3 weeks, to male BALB/c mice with heart failure due to EAM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that intact type of Ig, but not F(ab')2 type, reduced the severity of myocarditis by comparing the heart weight/body weight and lung weight/body weight ratios, pericardial effusion score, macroscopic and microscopic scores. Tissue superoxide production was marked in untreated mice with EAM, which was suppressed by the treatment of immunoglobulins. The cytotoxic activities of lymphocytes in mice with EAM treated with Ig were reduced compared with untreated controls. The shift from Th1 toward Th2 cytokine balance was demonstrated by the treatment of immunoglobulins both in vitro and in vivo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ROS may be involved in the development of myocarditis. Intact Ig ameliorates myocardial damage in mice with myocarditis associated with suppression of ROS and cytotoxic activity of lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. kkishi@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Chiharu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.forename: Masaomi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nimata
authors.forename: Taka-Aki
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Okabe
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shioji
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species