ACTEOSIDE, A COMPONENT OF SACHYS SIEBOLDII MIQ, MAY BE A PROMISING ANTINEPHRITIC AGENT .2. EFFECT OF ACTEOSIDE ON LEUKOCYTE ACCUMULATION INTHE GLOMERULI OF NEPHRITIC RATS

We investigated the effect of acteoside in comparison with that of cyc losporin A on leukocyte accumulation in the glomeruli of rats with cre scentic-type anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) nephritis. Acteos ide given p.o. at a dose of 30 mg/kg once a day for 15 consecutive day s after treatment with anti-GBM serum markedly suppressed the urinary protein as well as glomerular histological changes. Acteoside given p. o. for 5 or 15 consecutive days markedly suppressed the accumulation o f total leukocytes, ED-1-positive cells (monocytes/macrophages), CD4-p ositive cells, CD8-positive cells, interleukin-2-receptor-positive cel ls (activated T cells) and Ia-positive cells in the glomeruli. These e ffects of cyclosporin A (20 mg/kg/day, p.o.) were also as potent as th ose of acteoside (30 mg/kg/day, p.o.). Cyclosporin A also strongly sup pressed the elevation of plasma antibody level against rabbit gamma-gl obulin. However, in this dose, acteoside did not significantly suppres s the antibody formation. It can be concluded from these results that acteoside may exert its antinephritic action by suppressing the accumu lation of leukocytes in the glomeruli.