[Interleukin-1 production by mononuclear leukocytes and mesangial cells in experimental nephrotoxic nephritis]

We investigated the intensiveness of the cell proliferation, number of mononuclear leucocytes (MNL) and production of interleukin-1 (IL-1) in glomerular cell cultures of rats with nephrotoxic serum (NTS) nephritis and control (C) rats. Five days after intravenous injection of nephrotoxic serum from rabbits the glomeruli were isolated, treated with collagenase and cultured over a period of 20 days. In cultures the number and intensity of mesangial cell proliferation in the NTS group were significantly higher than in the C group. Thus, the intensive mesangial cell proliferation in experimental nephrotoxic serum nephritis is related to infiltration of glomerulus by MNL of bone marrow origin with increased production of IL-1.