Butein ameliorates experimental anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibody-associated glomerulonephritis in rats .1.

Effects of butein on crescentic-type anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) nephritis in rats were investigated. When rats were treated with butein from 1 day after i.v. injection of anti-GBM serum, it inhibited the elevation of protein excretion into urine. In the butein-treated rats, cholesterol content in plasma was lower than that of the nephritic control rats. Histological observation demonstrated that this agent suppressed the incidence of crescent formation, adhesion of capillary wall to Bowman's capsule and fibrinoid necrosis in the glomeruli. Furthermore, butein suppressed the accumulation of leukocytes, including CD4-positive cells and CD8-positive cells in the glomeruli. However, butein failed to suppress the production of the antibody against rabbit gamma-globulin and the deposition of rat-IgG on the GBM. These results suggest that butein may be a useful medicine against rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, which is characterized by severe glomerular lesions with diffuse crescents.