ROLE OF REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES IN RENAL DAMAGE IN EXPERIMENTAL LEPROSY

Renal involvement is known to occur in leprosy. In the present study t he possible role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in causation of rena l damage in mice infected with Mycobacterium leprae has been investiga ted. At least six animals from each group (control and infected) were killed at 0 day, 3, 6 and 9 months postinfection. The results showed a significant increase in the chemiluminescence (CL) response of perito neal macrophages which was maximum between 3 and 6 months. No signific ant increase was observed in CL response of blood neutrophils. A signi ficant increase in lipid peroxidation was observed at 3 and 6 months a s evident by an increase in malondialdehyde levels. The increased ROS production might be the cause of lipid peroxidation. The renal damage is also evident by decrease in the activity of renal brush border memb rane enzymes, namely, alkaline phosphatase, leucine aminopeptidase and r-glutamyl transpeptidase. Thus ROS might play a role during early st ages of M. leprae infection but in the later stages other immunologica l mechanisms may overpower the effect of ROS.