BUTEIN AMELIORATES EXPERIMENTAL ANTIGLOMERULAR BASEMENT-MEMBRANE (GBM) ANTIBODY-ASSOCIATED GLOMERULONEPHRITIS IN RATS .1.

Effects of butein on crescentic-type anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) nephritis in rats were investigated. When rats were treated wit h butein from 1 day after i.v. injection of anti-GBM serum, it inhibit ed the elevation of protein excretion into urine. In the butein-treate d rats, cholesterol content in plasma was lower than that of the nephr itic control rats. Histological observation demonstrated that this age nt suppressed the incidence of crescent formation, adhesion of capilla ry wall to Bowman's capsule and fibrinoid necrosis in the glomeruli. F urthermore, butein suppressed the accumulation of leukocytes, includin g CD4-positive cells and CD8-positive cells in the glomeruli. However, butein failed to suppress the production of the antibody against rabb it gamma-globulin and the deposition of rat-IgG on the GBM. These resu lts suggest that butein may be a useful medicine against rapidly progr essive glomerulonephritis, which is characterized by severe glomerular lesions with diffuse crescents.