EXPRESSION OF LYMPHOTACTIN MESSENGER-RNA IN EXPERIMENTAL CRESCENTIC GLOMERULONEPHRITIS

Lymphotactin (LTN) is the sole member of C chemokine, the third subfam ily of chemokines. LTN has been shown to be a chemoattractant specific for CD8(+) cells and/or natural killer (NK) cells, and to be produced by CD8(+) T cells, NK cells, and mast cells. However, there have been no reports describing its expression in clinical or experimental mode ls of diseases so far. Since glomerular infiltration of CD8(+) cells i s prominent in an animal model of crescentic glomerulonephritis induce d in WKY rats by an injection of anti-glomerular basement membrane ant ibody, we investigated the gene expression of LTN in this model. LTN m RNA was not detected in normal glomeruli but was detected at 0.5 h aft er the antibody injection, which detection preceded the infiltration o f CD8(+) cells. The expression of LTN mRNA peaked on day 3 and decreas ed thereafter. We next studied the expression of LTN mRNA in cultured glomerular and vascular cells, and found that glomerular mesangial and vascular endothelial cells could express LTN mRNA when stimulated wit h IL-1 beta. These results indicate that the gene expression of LTN is enhanced in the animal model of glomerulonephritis and that intrinsic renal cells are the potential source of the gene expression of LTN in the kidney.