To the question whether anti-C5 might benefit (SLE) patients with renal disease:
Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2000 May;278(5):F747-57 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
C5b-9 membrane attack complex mediates endothelial cell apoptosis in experimental glomerulonephritis.
Hughes J, Nangaku M, Alpers CE, Shankland SJ, Couser WG, Johnson RJ.
Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA. jeremyh@u.washington.edu
We studied the role of the C5b-9 membrane attack complex in two models of inflammatory glomerulonephritis (GN) initiated by acute glomerular endothelial injury in Piebold-viral-Glaxo (PVG) complement-sufficient rats (C+), C6-deficient rats (C6-), and rats systematically depleted of complement with cobra venom factor (CVF). GN was induced by performing a left nephrectomy and selectively perfusing the right kidney with either 1) the lectin concanavalin A (Con A) followed by complement-fixing anti-Con A (Con A GN) or 2) purified complement-fixing goat anti-rat glomerular endothelial cell (GEN) antibody [immune-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (ITM)]. Comparable levels of GEN apoptosis were detected in C+ animals in both models. CVF administration reduced GEN apoptosis by 10- to 12-fold. GEN apoptosis was C5b-9 dependent because PVG C6- rats were protected from GEN loss. Furthermore, functional inhibition of the cell surface complement regulatory protein CD59 by renal perfusion with anti-CD59 antibody in ITM resulted in a 3.5-fold increase in GEN apoptosis. Last, in Con A GN, abrogation of GEN apoptosis preserved endothelial integrity and renal function. This study demonstrates the specific role of C5b-9 in the induction of GEN apoptosis in experimental inflammatory GN, a finding with implications for diseases associated with the presence of antiendothelial cell antibodies.
PMID: 10807586 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] __________________________________
J Am Soc Nephrol 1999 Nov;10(11):2323-31 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Complement membrane attack complex (C5b-9) mediates interstitial disease in experimental nephrotic syndrome.
Nangaku M, Pippin J, Couser WG.
Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
Accumulating evidence suggests that the generation of complement activation products from filtered complement components in urine with nonselective proteinuria leads to tubulointerstitial disease, resulting in progressive loss of renal function. To elucidate the role of C5b-9 in complement-mediated effects on renal tubular cells exposed to proteinuric urine, equivalent levels of proteinuria were induced (using the aminonucleoside of puromycin) in normocomplementemic and genetically C6-deficient piebald viral glaxo (PVG) rats. Semiquantitative histologic analysis revealed that complement-sufficient animals developed more severe tubulointerstitial disease than did C6-deficient rats. Amelioration of tubulointerstitial damage in C6-deficient animals was confirmed by studies with three independent markers of tubular damage, i.e., vimentin, osteopontin, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen. More tubular epithelial cells expressed osteopontin (an early marker of tubular injury) in normocomplementemic rats, compared with C6-deficient rats, at both days 7 and 12. Staining of vimentin in the tubules, near areas of tubular damage, was increased in normocomplementemic rats at day 12, and more proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive tubular cells were observed at day 12 in complement-sufficient animals. The tubulointerstitial damage in complement-sufficient rats was also associated with greater accumulation of extracellular matrix (fibronectin) at day 12. These studies document for the first time an important role for C6, and therefore C5b-9, in the pathogenesis of nonimmunologic tubulointerstitial injury induced by proteinuria. These findings suggest that C5b-9 formation resulting from proteinuria contributes to the loss of nephron function by damaging the tubulointerstitium and that prevention of C5b-9 formation in tubules could slow the deterioration of renal function.
PMID: 10541291 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ___________________________
Kidney Int 1997 Dec;52(6):1570-8 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Renal microvascular injury induced by antibody to glomerular endothelial cells is mediated by C5b-9.
Nangaku M, Alpers CE, Pippin J, Shankland SJ, Kurokawa K, Adler S, Johnson RJ, Couser WG.
Division of Nephrology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
We have recently developed a model of thrombotic microangiopathy with injury to the glomerular endothelial cell (GEN) induced by heterologous antibody to rat GEN. In addition to GEN injury rats developed glomerular platelet aggregation and fibrin deposition, acute renal failure, and acute tubular necrosis with interstitial inflammation. To study the role of complement in mediating this lesion, we induced the disease in normal complement PVG rats and measured the effects of generalized complement depletion with cobra venom factor (CVF) and of selective C6 deficiency using genetically C6 deficient PVG animals. Complement sufficient rats developed severe endothelial injury accompanied by platelet aggregation, fibrin deposition, decrease in endothelial cells assessed by antibody staining in the glomerulus, and macrophage infiltration. These changes were associated with marked reduction in renal function. These features were either absent or markedly diminished in complement depleted or C6 deficient rats. This demonstrates that C5b-9, the terminal product of activation of the complement cascade, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of this immune renal microvascular endothelial injury model. Thus, the complement system may play a pathogenic role in renal microvascular diseases such as thrombotic microangiopathy.
PMID: 9407502 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] |