Mercury-induced autoimmune glomerulonephritis in animals.
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
R Pasquier
Publications and source records attributed to R Pasquier.
HgC12 induces T and B cells to proliferate and differentiate in BN rats.
Mercuric chloride induces in Brown-Norway (BN) rats an autoimmune disease characterized by the production of various autoantibodies and by a marked increase in the IgE serum concentration. This agent is responsible for a T dependent polyclonal activation of B cells, which is probably due to the emergence of autoreactive T cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of HgCl2 injections on lymphoid organs and on the serum concentration of the various Ig isotypes. HgCl2 induced (1) a lymphoproliferation in spleen and lymph nodes involving B and T helper cells while the number of T suppressor/cytotoxic cells was not modified, (2) an increase in the number of Ig containing cells resulting in a rise in all serum Ig isotypes, and (3) an early thymic atrophy probably immunologically mediated, which was not involved in the induction phase of the disease since adult thymectomy had no effect. These findings demonstrate that the polyclonal effect of HgCl2 is not isotype-restricted although the IgE response is predominantly affected and they support evidence for a major role for an excess of T help in the HgCl2-induced polyclonal activation of B cells. It was also observed that B cell areas are present in normal BN rat thymuses, the potential role of which in the induction of autoimmunity remains to be investigated.
Animals↗
HgCl2 induces nonspecific immunosuppression in Lewis rats.
Brown-Norway (BN) rats injected with HgCl2 have been previously shown to develop a variety of autoimmune abnormalities. The susceptibility of BN rats is genetically controlled, and Lewis rats bearing a different RT1 haplotype are resistant. It will be shown in the present study that the number of MRC OX-8+ (suppressor/cytotoxic) cells increases in the spleen and lymph nodes of Lewis rats injected with HgCl2. The responsiveness to T cell mitogens and to alloantigens is concomitantly inhibited. Spleen cells from Lewis rats injected with HgCl2 fail to induce a local graft-vs.-host reaction. Data presented show that MRC OX-8+ cells are involved in the immunosuppression in Lewis rats treated with HgCl2. Furthermore, lymph node cells and MRC OX-8+ cells from these rats are able to inhibit the normal mixed lymphocyte reaction indicating that suppression is active. Thus, HgCl2 is able to trigger immune dysregulation leading either to autoimmunity or to immunosuppression depending upon the genetic background of the rat strain tested.
Animals↗
Down modulation of Heymann's nephritis by mercuric chloride.
The time course of Heymann's nephritis (HN), assessed on proteinuria and immunomorphology, has been compared in Lewis (LEW) rats immunized with BB alone (group A) or injected with HgCl2 and subsequently immunized in a similar manner (group B). Whereas all rats from group A developed typical HN characterized by heavy proteinuria and abundant glomerular immune deposits, rats from group B did not develop or developed a markedly attenuated form of HN; proteinuria was never detectable, immune deposits were absent or minimal. No abnormalities were found in rats injected with HgCl2 alone. In order to explain our findings, we have studied the glomerular and tubular expression of the 330 kD nephritogenic glycoprotein (gp330) as well as the corresponding antibody response. In rats receiving HgCl2, gp330 was normally expressed on BB and glomerular epithelial cells as indicated by in vitro and in vivo binding of anti-gp330 antibodies, but titers of anti-BB and anti-gp330 antibodies were considerably lower than in group A control rats. These findings therefore suggest that HgCl2 acts by its immunodepressive effect recently related to an increase in T suppressor cells. This effect is paradoxical since HgCl2 induces autoimmunity in Brown-Norway rats, and we suggest that it may be akin to observations reported in clinical practice where drugs may be immunostimulatory in some patients and immunodepressive in others. The mercury model may therefore represent a unique tool to evaluate the relationship between genetics and drug-induced immune dysregulation.
Animals↗
Mercury-induced autoimmune glomerulonephritis: requirement for T-cells.
Mercury-induced autoimmunity in Brown-Norway rats has been shown previously to be due to polyclonal activation of B lymphocytes, requiring the presence of T lymphocytes. Autoimmunity in that strain is characterised by the appearance of an autoimmune glomerulonephritis, by the production of a host of autoantibodies, and by an increase in total serum IgE. In the present study, T-cell deprived rats were tested to assess the role of T cells in the appearance of autoimmune abnormalities in vivo. It will be shown that both BN rnu/rnu and BN 'B' rats, who have virtually no T cells, do not develop autoimmunity following HgCl2 injections. In contrast BN 'B' rats reconstituted with normal T cells, and BN rnu/+ rats, exhibit autoimmune manifestations, including autoimmune glomerulonephritis, quite similar to those observed in Brown-Norway rats. These data demonstrate that T cells are essential for mercury-induced autoimmunity to occur in Brown-Norway rats.
Animals↗
Effect of methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide in mercury-induced autoimmune glomerulonephritis.
The effects of methylprednisolone and of cyclophosphamide were tested in mercury-induced autoimmune disease in Brown-Norway rats. Survival, proteinuria, presence of antiglomerular basement membrane bound antibodies and of immune complex type deposits, amounts of circulating immune complexes, and total serum IgE were studied. Serum IgE represents the most sensitive marker in this drug-induced autoimmune disease. Methylprednisolone alone (1.5 mg/kg per day) affected the course of the disease only slightly. Cyclophosphamide (20 mg/kg every other day) given from day 0 completely prevented all the autoimmune manifestations, but the rats were profoundly immunosuppressed. The same protective effect was obtained with lower cyclophosphamide dosage (15 mg/kg on day 0 and then 2 mg/kg per day). More interestingly, cyclophosphamide given from day 10 or 15 (20 mg/kg twice a week or every other day), at a time when the disease was already expressed, resulted in partial or complete recovery, provided that the rats had not exhibited heavy proteinuria before initiation of treatment. Cyclophosphamide is therefore a powerful agent, able to prevent and even to reduce the consequences of polyclonal activation in this model.
Animals↗
Autoreactive T cells in mercury-induced autoimmune disease: in vitro demonstration.
Mercuric chloride induces in Brown-Norway rats an autoimmune disease due to a T dependent polyclonal activation of B cells. Various autoantibodies and a striking increase in total serum IgE level are observed as consequences of this polyclonal activation. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro response of autologous syngeneic normal lymphocytes to lymphocytes exposed in vivo or in vitro to HgCL2. Helper/inducer T cells (W3/25 +) exposed to HgCl2 were found to stimulate normal T lymphocytes in the presence of normal Ia (+) cells. The proliferating T cells also had the helper/inducer phenotype. To demonstrate the potential relevance of this in vitro phenomenon to the autoimmune disease, HgCl2-pretreated T cells were injected into the footpads of normal syngeneic recipients. Draining popliteal lymph nodes contained a highly significant number of both surface IgE positive and IgE containing cells. These experiments demonstrate that HgCl2 induces autoreactive T cells and suggest that these cells may be responsible for the autoimmune disease.
Animals↗
In vivo self-reactivity of mononuclear cells to T cells and macrophages exposed to HgCl2.
Mercuric chloride induces in Brown-Norway rats a polyclonal activation of B cells resulting in a lymphoproliferation and in the production of autoantibodies. Experiments were performed to test the role of cells modified by HgCl2 in the induction of B cell proliferation by using the popliteal lymph node assay. Spleen cells, T cells and peritoneal macrophages exposed in vivo or in vitro to HgCl2 induced a proliferation of T and B cells in the draining popliteal lymph node. Spleen cells from Lewis rats who received HgCl2 were ineffective. These data suggest that modified cells could trigger autologous lymphocyte subsets and be responsible for autoimmunity induced by HgCl2.
Animals↗
Relation of the centrally evoked pressor effect of angiotensin II to central noradrenaline in the rabbit.
Experiments were performed in urethane-anaesthetized rabbits using ventriculo-cisternol perfusion. Central infusion of angiotensin II (50 ng/kg/min) induced a rise in blood pressure which was accompanied by an increase in the noradrenaline concentration of the cerebrospinal fluid. Both effects were highly correlated. Conversely, an i.v. infusion of noradrenaline (5 micrograms/kg/min) which caused a similar increase in arterial pressure did not affect the cerebrospinal fluid catecholamine levels. These results suggest that peripheral cardiovascular effects of centrally administered angiotensin II are related to the activation of noradrenaline structures in the brain.
Angiotensin II↗
Mechanism of inhibition of renin release by clonidine in rats.
In anaesthetized rats, the intracisternal injection of clonidine (1 microgram/kg) reduced mean arterial pressure (MAP), increased plasma renin concentration (PRC) while naphazoline (5 microgram/kg) was ineffective. The i.v. administration of clonidine (30 microgram/kg) still lowered MAP, but in this case, the drug decrease PRC, naphazoline (45 microgram/kg, i.v.) also reduced PRC. It is suggested that i.v. clonidine and naphazoline reduce renin release through activation of alpha-adrenoceptors within the kidney.
Animals↗
[The joining of medical control and computers].
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Computers↗