REDUCTION OF SPONTANEOUS AUTOIMMUNE DIABETES IN DIABETES-PRONE BB RATS WITH THE NOVEL IMMUNOSUPPRESSANT FUSIDIC ACID - EFFECT ON T-CELL PROLIFERATION AND PRODUCTION OF INTERFERON-GAMMA

Diabetes-prone (DP) BB rats spontaneously develop a hyperglycaemic con dition which closely resembles human insulin-dependent diabetes mellit us (IDDM), both in terms of clinical and histological features. The in cidence of IDDM was significantly reduced when these animals were trea ted with 2 or 4 mg fusidic acid (FA)/day i.m. from day 30 to day 120 o f age. In addition, the mean insulitis score was significantly diminis hed in the animals treated with FA compared to both vehicle-treated an d untreated controls. Finally, 2 mg/day of FA i.m. prevented cell prol iferation and interferon-gamma secretion from peripheral blood mononuc lear cells upon ex vivo stimulation with concanavalin A. The capacity of FA to substantially reduce the incidence of autoimmune diabetes in a well-known animal model of human IDDM supports previous observations regarding the immunosuppressive properties of FA and its potential us e in the treatment of human autoimmune diabetes.