Plasma exchange in a rat model of autoimmune glomerulonephritis

Using an original technique permitting repeated plasma exchange in the rat, we have tested this therapeutic approach in animals actively immunised with horseradish peroxidase, and in rats with HgCl2-induced autoimmune glomerulonephritis. Plasma exchange effectively removes circulating IgG anti-horseradish peroxidase antibodies from the sera of immunised rats. When applied to the model of HgCl2-induced antiglomerular basement membrane glomerulonephritis in Brown-Norway rats, this technique is also remarkably effective. In these rats, proteinuria is abolished during the plasma exchange treatment period and no circulating antiglomerular basement membrane antibodies can be detected. These antibodies are, however, found in the ultrafiltrates of exchanged rats. Serum IgE, characteristically elevated in HgCl2-treated rats, is also markedly diminished in exchanged rats. Control rats treated with infusions of fresh frozen plasma or with heparin alone did not show any improvement in disease severity. These results suggest that plasma exchange alone can attenuate antiglomerular basement membrane nephritis in HgCl2-treated rats. This observation may be of relevance for the treatment of human antiglomerular-basement membrane-mediated glomerulonephritis.