This study aims to investigate the mechanism of Mahuang Lianqiao Chixiaodou Decoction(MHLQ) and its main active components in treating immunoglobin A nephropathy(IgAN). The rat model of IgAN was established by a combination of measures including gavage of bovine serum albumin, subcutaneous injection of carbon tetrachloride, and tail vein injection of lipopolysaccharide. The modeled rats were randomized into model, low-, medium-, and high-dose(1.773, 3.545, and 7.090 g·kg~(-1), respectively) MHLQ, phillyrin(PHI, 0.020 g·kg~(-1)), pseudoephedrine(PSE, 0.020 g·kg~(-1)), and losartan potassium(LP, 9.003 mg·kg~(-1)) groups, and Wistar rats were used as the control. Rats were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage, and those in the control and model groups received an equal volume of normal saline. All the groups were treated for 4 consecutive weeks. Urine, serum, liver, and kidney samples were collected from rats in each group at the end of drug administration. The 24 h urine protein and renal function were examined, and staining was performed to observe the pathological changes in the renal tissue. The immunofluorescence assay was employed to detect the expression of IgA and complement C3/C3b/C3c in the renal tissue. Electron microscopy was employed to observe the ultrastructure of the renal tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to determine the expression of complement C3 and sublytic C5b-9 in the serum and renal tissue. Western blot was performed to determine the expression levels of hepatic and renal complement C3/C3b/C3c, C5/C5a, C5b-9, and complement factor B(CFB). Immunohistochemistry(IHC) was employed to measure the expression of complement C3 in the renal tissue. The results showed that compared with the control group, the model group had elevated levels of blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine, proliferation of glomerular mesangial cells and extracellular matrix, and glomerular deposition of IgA immune complexes or electron-dense material. In addition, the model group showcased increased serum C3 levels and up-regulated expression of CFB, C3/C3b/C3c, C5/C5a, and C5b-9 in the renal tissue and C3/C3b/C3c and C5b-9 in the hepatic tissue. After treatment with MHLQ and its active components, all of the above indexes were reversed. In conclusion, MHLQ and its active components can improve the renal function and reduce the deposition of immune complexes and pathological damage in the renal tissue of the rat model of IgAN by inhibiting the alternative pathway complement activation.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA/genetics* ; Rats ; Male ; Disease Models, Animal ; Rats, Wistar ; Complement Activation/drug effects* ; Kidney/immunology* ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo study the expression of neonatal Fc receptor in podocytes in human nephritis and immune-induced rat nephritis models: anti-Thy1.1 nephritis and Heymann nephritis.

METHODSThirty-nine cases of renal biopsies were enrolled from September 2009 to February 2010, including 8 cases of minimal change disease, 4 cases of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, 9 cases of membranous nephropathy, 12 cases of IgA nephropathy and 6 cases of lupus nephritis. Five normal kidney tissue samples adjacent to renal clear-cell carcinoma were served as normal controls. Laser capture microdissection and real-time RT-PCR were used to assess the expression level of FcRn mRNA in glomeruli of various glomerulonephritides, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) of FcRn by SuperVision method was performed. In addition, rat models of mesangial proliferative nephritis (anti-Thy1.1 nephritis) and passive membranous nephropathy (Heymann nephritis) were established and FcRn was examined in renal tissues by IHC.

RESULTSThe FcRn mRNA level in lupus nephritis was statistically higher than that of normal controls (P < 0.05). FcRn protein expression by IHC was seen in lupus nephritis (6/6), membranous nephropathy (6/9) and IgA nephropathy (7/12), significantly higher than that of normal controls (0/5), P < 0.05. Minimal change disease and focal segmental glomerular sclerosis showed minimal or none expression of FcRn (1/8, 0/4 respectively) and not statistically difference from that of normal controls. Furthermore, FcRn expression in podocytes was detected in rat anti-Thy1.1 (3/5) and Heymann nephritis models (2/7) but was not detected in normal controls.

CONCLUSIONSExpression of FcRn in podocytes was up-regulated in immune-induced human nephritis and rat nephritis models of anti-Thy1.1 nephritis and Heymann nephritis. FcRn may play a role in the development of immune-induced glomerulonephritis.

Animals ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; metabolism ; pathology ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous ; metabolism ; pathology ; Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental ; metabolism ; pathology ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Laser Capture Microdissection ; Lupus Nephritis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Nephritis ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Nephrosis, Lipoid ; metabolism ; pathology ; Podocytes ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, Fc ; genetics ; metabolism ; Thy-1 Antigens ; immunology ; metabolism ; Up-Regulation

OBJECTIVETo study the expression and significance of nestin (a type of cytoskeletal protein) in normal and diseased human kidneys.

METHODSDiseased kidney tissues were obtained from needle biopsies in 32 patients with glomerulonephritis (including 8 cases of membranous glomerulopathy, 3 cases of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, 17 cases of IgA nephropathy with proteinuria and 4 cases of IgA nephropathy without proteinuria). Control kidney tissues were obtained from nephrectomy specimens for renal tumors. The expression of nestin in the control kidney tissues was studied using immunoelectronic microscopy and immunohistochemistry. The expression of nestin in the diseased kidney tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTSIn normal kidney tissues, nestin was detected at the periphery of glomerular capillary loops. Semi-quantitative morphometric analysis showed that the glomerular nestin expression level in cases of IgA nephropathy without proteinuria did not differ from that in the normal controls. However, the glomerular nestin expression levels in cases of IgA nephropathy with proteinuria, membranous glomerulopathy and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis were significantly lower than those in the normal kidneys and IgA nephropathy without proteinuria. The glomerular nestin expression levels inversely correlated with the 24-hour urine protein results.

CONCLUSIONNestin may play an important role in maintaining the normal function of podocytes in human kidney.

Adult ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intermediate Filament Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Kidney ; Kidney Diseases ; metabolism ; pathology ; Kidney Glomerulus ; metabolism ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Nephrectomy ; adverse effects ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Nestin ; Proteinuria ; metabolism

The roles of interleukin-10 (IL-10) have been emphasized in several models of glomerulonephritis (GN). Three biallelic polymorphisms within the IL-10 promoter region, at positions -1,082, -819, and -592 from the transcription initiation site, were shown to affect the level of IL-10 production. To investigate the effect of IL-10 promoter polymorphisms on the predisposition to development of GN in Korea, IL-10 promoter polymorphisms were assayed by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism in 108 patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), 49 focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), and 100 healthy controls. In comparison with the control, the frequency of -1,082*G alleles were lower in IgAN and the frequencies of -592*C and -819*C were lower in FSGS, respectively. As for the haplotype, GCC haplotype was less frequent among IgAN than the control and ATA haplotype was more frequent among FSGS than the control (p<0.05). The frequency of intermediate producer genotypes (GCC/ACC and GCC/ATA) were lower among IgAN or FSGS than the control. Our findings suggested that IL-10 promoter polymorphism predisposed to the development of IgAN and FSGS in Korean patients.
Alleles ; Base Sequence ; Case-Control Studies ; DNA/genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA/*genetics/*immunology ; Glomerulosclerosis, Focal/*genetics/*immunology ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Interleukin-10/*genetics ; Korea ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; *Promoter Regions (Genetics) ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between codon 54 gene polymorphism of the host defense molecule, mannose-binding protein (MBP), and the patterns of glomerular immune deposition in IgA nephropathy (IgAN).

METHODSIgAN patients with different patterns of glomerular immune deposition were selected and divided into two groups. Group A consisted of 77 patients with glomerular IgA and C3 deposits, and Group AGM consisted of 70 patients with glomerular IgA, IgG, IgM, C3 and Clq deposits. Clinical features and laboratory relevant data of all patients were collected. One-hundred and forty healthy adults were recruited as normal controls. The MBP gene codon 54 GGC/GAC polymorphism was investigated by using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism.

RESULTSThe genotype frequency of GGC/GAC heterozygotes was significantly higher in Group AGM as compared with that of Group A (41.4% vs 19.5%, P < 0.01) or normal subjects (41.4% vs. 26.4%, P < 0.05), while no difference was found in the distribution of MBP genotypes between Group A and normal subjects. GAC allele frequency was also higher in Group AGM than that in Group A (0.24 vs. 0.14, P < 0.05) or normal subjects (0.24 vs. 0.15, P < 0.05). The variant allele (GAC) was markedly associated with Group AGM (OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.06 - 3.58). In both Group A and Group AGM, more patients carrying the variant allele had episodes of upper respiratory or gastrointestinal infections prior to the onset of IgAN than those with wild homozygotes (GGC/GGC).

CONCLUSIONSGenetic variation of the host defense molecule, MBP, may be involved in the formation of the diverse patterns of glomerular immune deposition in IgAN. The variant allele of the MBP gene may partially account for abundant immune deposits in some IgAN patients.

Adult ; Alleles ; Carrier Proteins ; genetics ; Collectins ; DNA ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; genetics ; immunology ; Humans ; Kidney Glomerulus ; immunology ; pathology ; Male ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length