ORAL ENZYMES IN DIFFERENT ANIMAL-MODELS OF GLOMERULONEPHRITIS

Systemic or oral proteolytic enzymes ameliorate any of several glomeru lonephritides in mice, rats or rabbits. Recently in rats with membrano us nephropathy induced by cationized antigen, oral Phlogenzym(R) thera py progressively diminished proteinuria and hyperlipidemia (ultimately by 50%) over a 2-week period, whereas untreated diseased controls sho wed stable and sustained proteinuria and hyperlipidemia. At sacrifice, the amount of glomerular immune deposits, assessed by semiquantitativ e immunofluorescence and quantitative electron microscopy were 45% of the amount in controls. Moreover when this model was sustained for 7 m onths, glomerulosclerosis involved an average of approximately 80% oi the glomeruli in untreated rats with nephrosis; whereas two different preparations of proteolytic enzymes, given intraperitoneally: had a si gnificant sparing effect on glomeruli. Only 25% of the glomeruli from rats in either protease-treated group appeared sclerotic, as compared to 12% in nondiseased age-matched controls. We conclude that enzyme th erapy diminishes the clinical signs and morphologic lesions of immune complex glomerulonephritis; reduces ?he immune deposits, and, prevents or retards the progression to end stage renal disease.