LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF LTB4 ANTAGONIST ON LIPID INDUCED RENAL INJURY

Glomerular infiltration of macrophages is a characteristic alteration of renal histopathology in hyperlipidemic renal injury. Each macrophag e has two key enzymes to synthesize LTB4: 5-lipoxygenase and LTA(4) hy drolase. In this study we examined the long-term effects of LTB4 antag onist on real function and histopathology of spontaneously hypercholes terolemic (SHC) rat, which is model of hyperlipidemic renal injury, to see if the LTB4 antagonist could reduce the progression of renal dama ge. Spontaneously hypercholesterolemic rats fed a normal diet (C) deve loped end-stage renal failure in 26 weeks, while those fed a diet supp lemented with LTB4 antagonist (E) showed normal renal function, and mi ld histopathological alterations (S-Cr: C, 1.4 +/- 0.3; E, 0.6 +/- 0.1 mg/dl, P < 0.03) without statistical differences in serum total chole sterol, body weight and blood pressure between two groups. These resul ts suggest that LTB4 plays an important role in progression of hyperli pidemic renal injury.