ACTEOSIDE, A COMPONENT OF SACHYS SIEBOLDII MIQ, MAY BE A PROMISING ANTINEPHRITIC AGENT .2. EFFECT OF ACTEOSIDE ON LEUKOCYTE ACCUMULATION IN THE GLOMERULI OF NEPHRITIC RATS

We investigated the effect of acteoside in comparison with that of cyclosporin A on leukocyte accumulation in the glomeruli of rats with crescentic-type anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) nephritis. Acteoside given p.o. at a dose of 30 mg/kg once a day for 15 consecutive days after treatment with anti-GBM serum markedly suppressed the urinary protein as well as glomerular histological changes. Acteoside given p.o. for 5 or 15 consecutive days markedly suppressed the accumulation of total leukocytes, ED-1-positive cells (monocytes/macrophages), CD4-positive cells, CD8-positive cells, interleukin-2-receptor-positive cells (activated T cells) and Ia-positive cells in the glomeruli. These effects of cyclosporin A (20 mg/kg/day, p.o.) were also as potent as those of acteoside (30 mg/kg/day, p.o.). Cyclosporin A also strongly suppressed the elevation of plasma antibody level against rabbit gamma-globulin. However, in this dose, acteoside did not significantly suppress the antibody formation. It can be concluded from these results that acteoside may exert its antinephritic action by suppressing the accumulation of leukocytes in the glomeruli.